Finally!  America heads to the polls today.  One way or another, this will be all be over by tomorrow morning.  And maybe, just maybe, the wounds of division and fear in our nation will start to heal.  I certainly hope so.

It’s in that spirit that I want to ask you to join me in making three commitments for election day:

VOTE

Apathy isn’t cool.  You may not like the candidates, the parties or the platforms but nothing is going to get better because you stayed at home.  It’s a beautiful thing to live in a country where we get to pick our leaders.  Please, don’t take for granted what others can only imagine.

POST LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO PRAY

If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, you already know what you need to do tomorrow morning.  “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.“(1 Tim. 2:1-2)  And not some snarky, “God, have mercy on us and our idiot President” kind of prayer.  A genuine prayer for the leader of the free world, for our well being as a nation and for the flourishing of the church.  If you won’t pray that way tomorrow, it’s not because of disappointment.  It’s because of disobedience.

So, why not post on social media today like you’re going to be praying tomorrow?  We don’t need any more divisive rhetoric.  It’s time to move on, to repair what’s been broken and recover civility both online and in person.

PUT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST, NOT A CANDIDATE

Whatever’s going to happen today has been planned long ago by One who is wiser and greater than all of us.  “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.“(Romans 13:1)  He already knows who will win and He knows exactly how it all fits together in a plan more glorious and marvelous than anything we could comprehend.  He’s our hope.  He’s our confidence.  Don’t make Him look small by putting more hope in a candidate than in your Creator.

This election matters.  But what really matters is knowing that Jesus is in control no matter what happens.  He’s “upholding the universe by the word of His power.” (Hebrews 1:3)  I’m going to sleep just fine tonight.  And then I’m going to wake up and pray tomorrow morning.