natalie’s blog

The first indication of what was to come hit me full force as I sat in stunned silence, quickly scribbling down the vote counts for our Derby precincts as the Election Judge called them off shortly after the polls closed Tuesday night. Known for its conservative voting history, if Derby turned out a majority vote for Morrison over Kline and just barely scraped together enough votes to give Barnett the edge over Sebelius, was there any hope that the rest of the state would fare better?

As the results came in throughout the night, the answer became strikingly clear and the result for me was a conglomeration of emotions that cried out in resistance toward any effort to apply an attitude of faith and trust in God’s Sovereignty to the issue at hand. I didn’t want anyone attempting to uplift my devastated spirit with trite assurances that God was in control. And I was not about to blame Him for putting the “wrong” people in these important positions of leadership in our state. Gone were the commands and exhortations to give thanks in everything; replaced with frustration and disappointment toward those who played a part in the downfall of our beloved state and country.

After a day of attempting to carry on my responsibilities as normal while inwardly wrestling with multitudes of unanswered questions that ricocheted repeatedly off the walls of my mind, I found myself desperate for a word, any word, from the Lord that would lend understanding to this faithless child.

Far from an epiphany, it was instead the still small voice of God whispered through His eternal words of truth that began to draw my heart once again toward His:

“For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Romans 13:1

I could not argue. It was as clear as could be and my mind was forced to conform to the reality of this truth. It was a start anyway – a first step on the path of understanding. God had ordained the results of this election and God had a purpose in mind.

Ultimately God desires the heart and devotion of His people. Indeed, such is the first and greatest commandment. A complacent, world-loving church is a disgrace to the name of God and a disservice to the community and nation in which we live. Our powerless, convictionless lives render our righteous rhetoric irrelevant in the eyes of society. What good is it if we claim to have faith, but have not the working out of that faith in our daily lives? (a paraphrase of James) What good is it if we decry the overreaching of the government, but fail to provide for the poor and needy among us? What good is it to speak of life and happiness in Christ while ignoring the silent cries of millions of babies who are killed, depriving them of any life at all? What good is it if we claim to trust in the Sovereignty of God, but refuse to acknowledge that same Sovereignty in the face of stunning defeat? What good is it to claim that Christ can make a difference in a life if we are content to go on living just like the unbelieving world?

Just like Israel of old, God has given us our request (we got who we voted for), but sent leanness into our soul. (Psalm 106:15) Winning or losing an election is not the end of the battle. Election results are merely a reflection of the true state of our soul. Now is when the battle really takes place – the battle for the souls of our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our family members. As souls are won and hearts are changed and righteousness shines forth through the lives of those living daily in the presence and by the power of the Lord God, the battle continues on. That battle will be won, not in a polling booth, but in the relationships we develop, the conversations we share, the eternal investments we make in the course of our everyday lives. And in that battle, we need never fear defeat, because the victory has already been secured.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

I Corinthians 15:57-58

If Christians across the nation heed this exhortation of Paul and press on now in the strength of the Lord, carrying out the work He has called us to do, who knows, maybe when the next election rolls around we will experience the great blessing of the Lord in the rise of godly leaders to once again lead our state and nation.

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