Implosion (36 page)

What if such men and women had refused to obey the Lord by serving in government? Imagine how much more evil would have been done in their time, how many lives would have been lost or harmed. We should not go into politics or government life if God is not calling us. God will not bless our efforts if we do. But if he calls us and we refuse to serve, we dishonor him and cede the playing field to those who oppose our biblical values and will fight against them.

Again, consider the founders of our country. Many were devout believers. Some were pastors. They entered the political arena after much prayer and after concluding God was directing them to serve their country in this manner. We should do no less.

Christians who do run for office, of course, should always be careful to respect people of all faiths as well as those who embrace no faith. They should also conduct themselves in office with the highest moral and ethical standards, setting an example of which the nation can be proud.

Sometimes God calls people to play a role in government or in the political arena for a season, not for a lifetime. Make certain you listen carefully to God’s voice and step off the political stage when he tells you to. After much prayer and Bible study, Lynn and I were certain we were called to live and work in Washington, DC, beginning in 1990. We didn’t make a lasting difference on our capital or our country as we hoped, but we sought to be faithful. Then, when God told us to change our focus and serve him in other ways, we again sought to follow Christ’s lead. We still live in the Washington area and will until the Lord moves us, but we’re not immersed in the political world as we once were. As King Solomon once wrote, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

4. Some Christians need to stay completely away from the political arena.

As I noted above, not all Christians are called to get directly involved in politics and government. Those who are not should be very careful to remain faithful to the specific responsibilities entrusted to them by God and not get tempted into political activity. They should certainly pray for their leaders, vote, help others register to vote, and encourage others to get to the polls on Election Day. These are basic civic responsibilities, after all, and pastors and others in ministry should set a good example in this area for those they oversee. But while some pastors and ministry leaders should publicly endorse a candidate or be actively engaged in political campaigns when the Lord directs them, those who haven’t been called should avoid such activities at all costs, even though the law permits a wider degree of political involvement for clergy members than most people realize. Rather, they should stay focused on preaching and teaching the Bible, sharing the gospel, making disciples, shepherding their flock, and counseling those in need. A shepherd, after all, needs to be able to care for Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and the unaffiliated. A partisan reputation could severely hinder some believers from effectively exercising their spiritual gifts and divine callings.

The apostle Paul could have organized political opposition to the Roman government in addition to preaching the gospel and planting churches. But that’s not what God told him to do. Likewise, consider this passage, John 6:15: “So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.” Jesus Christ certainly came to earth to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords, but not by some human political process. That was not the Father’s will for his life, so he avoided it at all costs.

Remember, ultimately we are called to serve the Kingdom of God, not to help build kingdoms on earth. The key is prayer and fasting and seeking the specific will of God. What is he calling you to do? This is no time for indecision or cowardice. The fate of the country hangs in the balance. Are you supposed to be like Nehemiah, a strong follower of the Lord who was called to serve as governor of Judah, the political leader of the people? Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, organized the people to defend themselves from multiple enemies, and administered numerous civil reforms. Or are you supposed to be like Ezra, another strong follower of the Lord, who was called to serve as a priest and the spiritual leader of the people? Ezra taught the Word of God, leading the people in prayer and repentance, and administered the religious reforms of his day. Each of us must come to a deep conviction of our role and then be “all in.” We must know the Lord’s will and then obey him with more passion and determination than ever before in our lives.

5. Christians must not become addicted to partisanship.

I have met too many Christians over the years who have become completely obsessed with winning political battles at all costs. They have allowed their utter devotion to a political party to trump their essential commitment to Christ. It’s not pretty.

Even if we’re called into political activity, we must maintain balance and perspective. Now is no time to become angry with people who disagree with you politically or to treat political opponents unkindly. Yes, the stakes are high. Yes, the fate of our country hangs in the balance. But Jesus told us to love our neighbor and love our enemies. He commanded us to show kindness and gentleness to everyone we encounter. So fight hard—and clean—for your beliefs, your values, and your team. But don’t get addicted to partisanship. Don’t become nasty and petty, even if others do. It’s not worth it. It’s not Christlike. And it won’t work.

Also, remember that one political party may represent your values better than another, but it cannot save you. Politics isn’t the ultimate answer. Don’t imagine for one moment that just by winning an election, the enormous problems facing our nation will suddenly be solved overnight. It’s not going to happen that way. The battles are going to intensify. The opposition will increase. If Washington can be turned around at all, it will only happen amid enormous political combat, day by day, week by week, year by year. It’s not for the faint of heart. It is warfare by nonlethal means. That’s precisely what our founders intended. And if history is any guide, the opposition doesn’t always fight fair.

If you’re hoping for your political party to take over Washington and make everything all better just because they control all the levers of power, forget it. It’s a pipe dream. Lynn and I have seen it all in this town. We’ve seen Democrats control everything—the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. We’ve seen the Republicans control everything. We’ve seen the government split between Democrat and Republican control. We’ve seen the budget balanced for a few years, then spin wildly out of control all over again. We must pray and work hard with the hope that God will have mercy and allow our elected national leaders to make things better. But never forget this basic truth: politicians are going to let you down, so brace yourself for disappointment.

Take our democracy seriously, but don’t put all your emotional eggs in the political basket. Don’t become obsessed with the political process. Don’t become fixated on political change as though your hope is in the Republican Party or the Democratic Party or some other party, rather than Jesus Christ, our soon-coming King.

There was a point in my life when I was becoming a bit too enthralled with partisan politics. I knew that God was directing me to be engaged in the political arena for a season, but I didn’t always maintain a proper balance and perspective. Often I had to make course corrections. For example, at one point while I was working as the deputy campaign manager for a Republican presidential contender, Lynn was discipling a young woman who was a relatively new Christian and an outspoken Democrat. She became agitated anytime I talked about my candidate or his issues, and Lynn suggested that I cool it by not talking about politics when the young woman was around. She was right. Helping that young woman grow in her faith in Christ was far more important than trying to persuade her to change her party or her vote.

People say, “Never talk about religion or politics.” My career has actually been about doing both. But my experience with that young woman helped me rethink how to navigate these tricky waters. I resolved not to talk much about politics with the young men I have discipled over the years. If they bring up political topics, I am happy to answer some of their questions, but even then I’ve tried to be circumspect. Most of these young men were hungry to know God, not hungry to become Republicans. Good for them. I can’t say I always found the right balance. But with God’s help and Lynn’s encouragement, I’ve tried.

Today, I like to say that I’ve gone through “political detox”—I’m out; I’m clean! People usually laugh when I say it, but I’m serious. What I mean is that I have asked God to help me not be addicted to political partisanship. I no longer work professionally for political campaigns. I no longer work as an activist for a particular political party or movement. And I try hard to limit my partisan comments. I still have deeply held views on policies and politics, of course, and I believe God has given me the freedom both to speak out on issues and to provide private advice and counsel to national and international leaders who seek it. But I went through “political detox” for a very specific reason. I don’t want to do or say anything that could distract people here at home or abroad from the message God has given me to communicate concerning the importance of preaching the gospel and making disciples in fulfillment of the great commission, the urgent need for a Third Great Awakening, the importance of Bible prophecy, God’s heart for Israel and her neighbors, and the increasingly close return of Jesus Christ.

God gave me a season in politics. Now he has given me a different calling, and it is one that I seek to take very seriously. How about you?

Bottom Line

As John Winthrop finished his message to the pilgrims on the
Arbella
on that dramatic voyage, he not only spoke of creating a shining “city upon a hill” but also warned them in no uncertain terms what could happen if they did not stay close to Christ in the New World.

If our hearts shall turn away, so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced, and worship other gods, our pleasure and profits, and serve them; it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good land whither we pass over this vast sea to possess it. Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live, by obeying his voice and cleaving to him, for he is our life and our prosperity.
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How we need to hear and heed Governor Winthrop’s message today. For our nation is in grave danger. That’s why God is shaking us—to wake us up and get us to change course before it’s too late.

Can America once again be a shining city on a hill? I don’t know for certain, but I hope so. As a person who deeply loves America, it is my earnest prayer that this nation can once more be good and thus once more be great. And as a person who much more deeply loves Jesus Christ, I believe with all my heart that if we are to avoid implosion as a nation, we must repent of our sins and turn to Christ—personally and nationally.

Will you join me in that endeavor? Will you pray with me for our nation, for the church, and for a Third Great Awakening? Will you examine your own heart and seek your own personal revival? Will you work to engage your church and your culture with the truths of Scripture? Will you ask God to show you whether he wants you to be involved in political change, and if so, how? Our founders devoted their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to creating a nation that would protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What are you and I willing to devote to saving this country?

We must not kid ourselves. The evidence suggests we may very well be aboard the
Titanic
, heading for icebergs and inexplicably increasing our speed toward disaster. So many on board are unaware of the dangers fast approaching and not concerned in the slightest. We haven’t hit the icebergs yet, but if we don’t make a sharp turn fast, we soon will, and we will sink. Who will serve as our captain and crew going forward? Will they understand the gravity of the threat and have the wisdom, courage, and speed to take appropriate action before it is too late? What is our role as passengers? Are we to succumb to decadence, indulging ourselves in amusements and entertainment and alcohol with no regard for our own safety or the safety of others aboard? Or will we rise up, sound the alarm, and take action while we still can?

As you make your decision and I make mine, let us also remember the dangers that lie ahead even if we are successful. Remember, the First and Second Great Awakenings didn’t ultimately spare the American people from the fast-approaching Revolutionary War of the eighteenth century or the Civil War of the nineteenth century. Devastating, life-altering conflicts were coming. But God knew they were coming and wanted Americans to be spiritually and morally ready for great pain, hardship, and sacrifice. Would a Third Great Awakening spare us from wars and other traumas, whether from Middle Eastern Radicals, Asian tyrants, terrorist forces, or other forces, natural or supernatural? No, I don’t believe it would. But we need such an awakening and sweeping government reforms anyway. For only then will we as the American people be prepared for anything and everything that lies ahead.

Now is the time for brave hearts and bold actions. Now is the time to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

To be candid, I don’t believe we can be certain of earthly success if we follow a course such as I’ve laid out in this book, but we can certainly be assured of utter disaster if we do not. If you and I will put everything on the line, then I pray America may still have time to change direction and receive God’s grace.

As John Winthrop urged his fellow passengers, I urge all of us: let us choose life by obeying God’s voice and clinging to him, for he is our life, our prosperity, and our ultimate hope.

Now is the time. Let us choose wisely.