Politics. It’s Exhausting and Filled With Hope.

“God isn’t asking you to figure it out. He’s asking that you trust that He already has.”  Unknown

Tonight, there is a pretty big debate that is going to happen. Of course, I am praying as God commands us to do for our country and the world. I am going to try and remain a-political in this post. You are probably thinking, “How can she do that?” Well, maybe I can’t, but I am certainly going to try.

Once again, social media is a blessing and a curse

I’ve seen my social media flooded with vote for this person or you hate me! Vote for that person because they are the best choice for us! While I am invested in who will ultimately win, I do have some thoughts on who ultimately wins. What does that mean? Recently, I saw a meme that said something along the lines of “You are arguing over 2 people who do not know anything about you. Your neighbor knows a little bit about you. Even your friends know more. Perhaps you should focus on that.” 

Why do I say, “Who ultimately wins?” 

Who should ultimately win? As I pondered this question, I knew almost in an instant. God should win. He is in charge. Sure, he gives us agency and ability, but ultimately He is the master of the universe. Not a human with huge platitudes and plans that quite honestly, they say to get elected. Why do we put so much trust in humanity, rather than God? 

This question has many answers

This is a multi-faceted question with several answers. We’ve been distracted. I do have a confession, I don’t spend a lot of time listening to a lot of preachers. I tend to dwell strictly in the realm of listening to scriptures and reading them. Why? I’ve had some questionable teachings in the past. I do tend to err on the side of running away from mega churches. It is part of the human condition that as we become more popular, we change. I believe that as true for big followings. 

We are scared

Let’s face it, the last few years have been a lot. The world is on fire, everything is so very expensive. You only have to open up social media to be inundated by things that are just a bit much to take. No wonder cooking videos and puppies have become viral. We went from being a more serious people to a fluff and stuff people. There is nothing wrong with deriving joy from a good reel. But rather, what are our first thoughts in the morning and the last thoughts that we have before we fall asleep? If we walk with God, He should have some space in those times. 

Often we fall into a mental trap

If we’ve fallen into the fluff and stuff trap or doom scrolling, why is that? Perhaps we need a moment to bring ourselves back into the fold of God. My trap? Politics. I found myself in an echo chamber. rather than a place where I wanted, desired and needed the truth. The truth hurts. The truth sets us free. The truth grounds us. Truth is tantamount to trusting God. Why? Because He is the way, the truth and the life. 

Find a place to live in the world, but not be of the world

What can we do?

– Pray

Pray all day. While I do have a carved out time to pray, I also pray all day long. Keep your heart open to say a prayer. 

-Spend time alone with God. 

It doesn’t have to be hours, but make time to meditate away from your phone and distractions. Recently I listened to a podcast about things that we have lost as a culture. One of the main themes? Quiet time to meditate. No distractions. Just the air between our ears. Take that time and dedicate it to God and you. 

-Limit your distractions.

Distractions are o’ plenty these days. We have a son who is just about a Luddite. He eschews technology. He picks up a good old fashioned book and just reads. Or, he just listens to music. He lets his mind wander in his feelings. Something that we have been told as a culture is that we should always be busy, never feel discomfort, never feel boredom and never just be. We need to do so. 

-Ask God to open our eyes and ears.

There is a wonderful hymn that I often sing in my head. Open my eyes that I may see. Glimpses of Truth, Thou hast for me. Open my ears so that I can hear. Spirit Divine. 

God knows us, he created us. God wants us to know Him. How do you do that? Put down the phone, the politics, the distractions and pray. 

Who is going to win this debate? I don’t know. But I do know that God, the great creator of the universe, is bigger than any politician and He is calling us to trust him. God knows the end of the story, and that story is beautiful. 

I leave you all with a song that I arranged based on “To Him Who Sits on the Throne.” Revelation 5:13