Why Vote?
I love audiobooks! But for years, I just couldn't bring myself to sign up for Audible. One more subscription, one more monthly commitment—and at full price, no less!
But Audible wasn't about to give up on luring me in. And unlike God, they tempted me beyond what I was able to bear and didn't provide a way out!
They dangled a new subscription in front of me for almost half the price. How could I possibly resist? So I bit—hook, line, and sinker!
There was just one catch. Every month, I had to pick a book. If I didn't, too bad! I'd paid for it, but that month's chance to get a book was gone.
Everything was going great until about three months in, when none of the books seemed to be exactly what I wanted. So I decided to wait.
It wasn't until the middle of the following month that I realized I'd paid my $8.99, hadn't chosen a book, and now it was too late. My money was gone, and I had absolutely nothing to show for it!
I had painfully become an object lesson of the old adage, “Not choosing is a choice!”
By not choosing a book, I'd actually chosen to pay $8.99 and get nothing in return!
That's the thing about choosing not to choose. We may avoid making a decision, but we can't avoid the cost of not making one.
The cost of not choosing couldn't be any higher than in our upcoming elections.
I've heard people say, "I don't like either candidate." Others say, "Christians shouldn't get involved in politics." And still others insist, "My one vote isn't going to make any difference."
But when we choose not to participate, we're still making a choice. We're choosing to let others decide who will govern us and what policies will shape our communities, our children's education, our freedoms, and our future.
And unlike my $8.99 audiobook, the privilege of choosing our leaders has come at an extraordinary price.
For nearly 250 years, men and women have sacrificed their lives to secure and defend the freedoms we enjoy. Yet throughout history, few people have enjoyed the freedom to choose those who govern them.
What a costly privilege we've been given—and what a glorious responsibility!
Still, many believers surrender that privilege without realizing what they're giving up. When we look to Scripture, however, we find compelling reasons to take that responsibility seriously—and discover answers to the questions that keep us from voting.
Should Christians Get Involved in Politics?
Some believers argue that Christians should concern themselves with spiritual matters and leave politics to others.
But why should our faith be disconnected from the decisions that affect our families, our communities, and our nation? And what part of our world, our culture, and our society should not be influenced by Jesus?
Throughout the Bible, God commended rulers who upheld righteousness and justice and condemned those who led their people into wickedness and oppression. Shouldn't that same concern for righteousness and justice guide us as we evaluate the candidates and decide how to vote?
Jesus called us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13–16). Salt changes what it touches. Light transforms where it shines.
When God's people were living as exiles in Babylon—a nation that certainly didn't share their values—God gave them a remarkable instruction:
"Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." — Jeremiah 29:7
God didn't tell them to withdraw from a culture that opposed their beliefs. He told them to seek its welfare!
We have an opportunity they didn't have: a voice in choosing those who govern our communities and nation.
And exercising that privilege is a powerful way to seek the welfare of the places where God has put us.
What If I Don't Like Either Candidate?
I've heard this objection many times. "I don't like either candidate, so I'm just not going to vote."
But we're not choosing a Savior. We're choosing an imperfect human being whose values and policies most closely align with what we believe.
It's not an all-or-nothing endorsement of someone's personality, character, or every position they hold. It's a decision about who will exercise governmental authority and what policies they will enact.
Throughout Scripture, God worked through imperfect rulers—and even pagan kings—to accomplish His purposes.
Cyrus, king of Persia, didn't worship the God of Israel, yet God used him to authorize the return of the Jewish exiles and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1:1–4). King Darius later intervened and protected that work when opposition threatened to stop it (Ezra 6).
And King Xerxes, through the courageous intervention of Esther, acted to protect the Jewish people when their very lives were threatened.
The decisions of these imperfect leaders had enormous consequences.
The Bible gives us a sobering reminder:
"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan." — Proverbs 29:2
Israel's history illustrates this again and again. The decisions of its kings affected entire generations.
Some led the nation into idolatry and injustice. Others turned the people back toward God and His ways.
Leadership matters.
So rather than asking whether a candidate is everything we'd like, shouldn't we thoughtfully examine the candidates' records and policies, consider the consequences of their leadership, and vote accordingly?
Does My Vote Really Matter?
It's easy to look at millions of voters and think, "What difference can one vote make?"
Every election result is made up of individual votes. Some local elections are decided by remarkably small margins, and when thousands of people decide their votes don't matter, their absence can change the outcome.
Jesus taught the importance of being faithful with what we've been given:
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." — Luke 16:10
And Psalm 115:16 tells us:
"The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind."
God rules fully in the heavens, but He has entrusted humanity with authority and responsibility on earth.
If we don’t exercise the privilege we have to participate in choosing those who govern us, we give it to others who will choose according to their values, not ours.
The question isn't whether my individual vote will determine an election. It's whether I'll faithfully exercise my right to vote and steward the responsibility I've been given.
Voting Is About More Than Ourselves
Perhaps the most compelling reason to take our civic responsibility seriously is that the consequences of government decisions extend far beyond our own lives.
Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
And loving our neighbors means caring about what happens to them—spiritually and in the everyday circumstances of their lives.
The Bible tells us:
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." — Proverbs 31:8–9
Think about that.
Our choices about leadership can affect the vulnerable, the poor, the unborn, the elderly, our children, and generations yet to come.
They can affect justice, education, human dignity, religious liberty, and our freedom to worship God and share the gospel.
These aren't merely political issues. They are biblical issues that involve real people whose lives are affected by the decisions of those in authority.
And we have a biblical responsibility to care about those people.
Paul urged believers:
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." — 1 Timothy 2:1–2
We pray for those in authority. We pray for peace, justice, and the freedom to live godly lives. But prayer should inspire action, not replace it!
Rather than leaving others to elect those who make decisions affecting us, our families, and our freedoms, let's put our prayers into action by exercising our privilege to vote.
So let’s study the issues, examine the candidates, and consider how their decisions may affect the people we're called to love.
The Choice Is Ours
I learned a rather inexpensive lesson when I failed to choose an audiobook. I lost $8.99.
But the cost of neglecting our civic responsibilities can be far greater—not only for ourselves, but for our children, our communities, and our country.
With so much at stake, let’s: Pray for those in authority. Seek the welfare of your community. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. And take seriously the opportunity to choose those who govern.
Because whether it's an audiobook or an election, one principle remains:
Not choosing is a choice. And it can be a costly one!
So let's exercise our privilege to choose—and vote!
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