Everything Is Going To Be Okay
The presidential election is next Tuesday. We are going to have a new president. As a church we do not endorse any candidates but if Jesus were running we would endorse him for sure! However our elections go, half the country will be excited about it and half the country will be upset, angry, ambivalent, crushed, or possibly relieved the whole thing is over. The bigger question is are you going to be okay?
In my lifetime there have been eight presidents and twelve presidential elections because some of the presidents were two term presidents. I’m 7 for 12 on my voting record which isn’t too bad. This means seven times my person won and five times I was disappointed. When I was younger I allowed the outcome of the elections to affect my mental state more than I should have. It’s not that I care any less today but I have a healthier perspective based on world history, American history, and most importantly the Bible. Looking back over my life, regardless of who was president I've never missed a meal, always had a roof over my head, always had transportation, always had a job, and always maintained a nice standard of living. When I see people losing their mind because their candidate didn’t win I want to ask them, “How did you make it this far?” I say that tongue and cheek but if we are going to let what happens in Washington steal our joy what does that say about our faith?
When the covid pandemic happened there was so much about it that felt apocalyptic to me. Conspiracy theories were everywhere. I was doing my best to help people calm down but internally I was upset about the way things were being handled. One day during the pandemic I met up with a friend I hadn’t seen for a couple of years. Back in my youth ministry days my friend was a big part of our ministry. We met up on a beautiful day in the cozy little beach town of Carlsbad. Over lunch I started complaining to my friend about how terrible everything was and how messed up our government is and I might have even rattled off a couple of conspiracy theories. My friend sat there patiently listening to me. Have you ever thought about what it's like to be on the other side of you when you are upset? As I continued to bend my friend's ears he said something that stopped me cold in the middle of my tirade. He said, “And yet here we are eating fine food on a beautiful day at a cafe next to the ocean.” Translation, “Steve, everything is going to be okay.” His words were like medicine to my soul. Instantly I saw the error of my ways. I had allowed myself to be hijacked by social media and a million other voices that were yelling, "It's the end of the world!”
One day the end of the world will happen as Jesus told us it would. But until then, vote for your candidate, accept the outcome with grace, continue to believe that God is sovereign, and trust that EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY!
Stay blessed,
Steve