“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
Christians should not be afraid to engage in politics. Throughout history, God’s people have led, submitted to, prayed for, and occasionally rebelled against the governments of their day. Their goal should be the same as our goal today – which is to glorify God by seeking the welfare of the society we live in by bringing a biblical worldview to laws, policies, justice systems, and administrations. Since we live in a time and place where our government leaders are elected, we believe voting (and voting wisely) is one way to “love your neighbor” (Mark 12:31) by choosing candidates who best promote peace and prosperity in our city, state, and nation.
Believers should not only engage in politics, but we should also engage with each other in thinking through important voting decisions. Far from being an “off-limits” topic that is too divisive to talk about, politics is something that we should be able to discuss in community, providing each other with wise counsel from God’s Word. This discussion guide is meant to help your community group honestly and graciously dialogue about politics in advance of an election.
Divide up the following passages among members of the group. Have each person read their passage(s) and summarize what each one means regarding the role, limitations, and implications of government.
As you work through the questions above with your community group and discuss politics with others, seek to maintain unity. Political views largely fall in the category of “opinions” or “convictions.” Recognize that other godly people can differ from your perspective without necessarily being wrong. In areas of personal conviction, being “one” needs to be more important than being “right” (John 17:20-23). Thankfully, Romans 14 and 15 give us a model for how to interact with each other when this is the case:
It is true that a Christian’s hope is in Christ and not the government; however, it is entirely biblical for Christians to engage in politics. Remember that our King is Jesus, our platform is the Word of God, and we are “ambassadors for Christ” and ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
For more information, including voter guides and other resources, visit watermark.org/vote.