I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we have an election of some sort coming up soon.
And there are bound to be passionate people on both sides of the political landscape that are EAGER to let your group know EXACTLY where they stand. So how do we navigate this eventuality within our groups?
First, we must understand that, as Christians, many of the topics of conversation within political circles tend to overlap with issues of great importance to the cause of Christ. Abortion, gender, homosexuality, the family, freedom of religion, healthcare, education, crime and punishment, and many others are being debated on the political stage with candidates and pundits on both sides saying what their base wants to hear. At the same time, followers of Jesus know that many aspects of these issues are settled because God declares them settled. But in a fallen world, public policy and sin that defies the will of God do not always coincide. And politics by its very nature divides. When these topics come up in our groups, we should avoid the political aspect and stick to what we know – the truth of God’s Word. Why take a hard line? Because of the divisive nature of political discussions and our goal of unifying those we lead on the basis of the Bible.
There are two ways political discussions in groups tend to go. One way is that people in the group disagree down party lines and, even if there is no outright animus, it is still a tense discussion. The other way is if a handful of people in the group agree and the discussion tends toward politics instead of scripture. It may be possible to have a third type of discussion, but I personally have never seen it.
Second, focusing on the broken, fallen world we live in can be overwhelming if we count on politicians to fix things. That is not to say that elections are not important – they are. They are necessary, but it is also necessary to put our trust in our King. Look at what Proverbs 25:19 says: “Trusting an unreliable person in a difficult time is like a rotten tooth or a faltering foot.” If we put our trust in anyone other than God, we are trusting someone who is unreliable. And we do so to our detriment.
Third, being informed about what is going on in the world is good, but letting that information control your life is not. We as group leaders must encourage our attendees to understand the folly of getting caught up in things of this world. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” As the old song says… “This world is not my home. I’m just a’passin’ through.” If we are followers of Jesus, we have heaven to gain, glory to God! We don’t have to be bogged down with the troubles of this sin-filled world. And those in our groups who are not believers need to be given the hope that comes with faith in our Savior.
Dave Brown, Director and Pastor-at-Large of WACMM, wrote the following:
Whatever we’re called into the public arena to do, we must remember that redemption does not come to us on Air Force One, through the next slate of candidates, or by fervent political ideologies, as important as these things are. Instead, redemption comes by the sovereign grace of God in Christ Jesus—our sin-bearer, our wrath absorber, and our robe of righteousness.
https://www.9marks.org/article/how-i-went-too-far-with-politics/
May we proclaim that to our groups as well as to anyone with ears to hear.
Not a Camouflaged Soul 