Casting Your Vote

As I write this, I don't yet know what the results of Tuesday's elections will be. I've been praying for sometime about the elections, and I'm desperately hoping God allows us to have the results we need and not the results I'm afraid our nation deserves.

I do believe it is our duty as well as our privilege to vote. We vote in every election, and we've also taught our children to do their civic duty as well.

I've seen much (and I'm sure you have as well) on social media lately from people who expressed their political point of view and encouraged others to vote, hopefully along the same lines. I do think it's important to vote, and I have no patience with people who didn't bother to vote, but then complain about how government isn't doing it's job.

Many people wouldn't think of missing their opportunity to vote in an election, but I wonder how many of us realize that we cast votes every single day. We vote what to do with our time, and we vote on what's important enough for us to focus our attention.

Here's a few areas where people cast votes without realizing it:

On the job--when someone makes an inappropriate comment or joke, how do you cast your vote? Do you vote for that sort of thing by laughing at it? Do you realize that staying silent is also a way of voting for those things that are offensive? Or do you vote against that sort of behavior by politely letting them know that it's not acceptable?

At church--Do you realize that every time you decide to stay home from a service, you're voting to close the church? You may not think it's that drastic, but if you are "too tired" or "too busy" to attend, you are sending the message to everyone that church is not that important.

*You're sending that message to those around you that you might have witnessed to or invited to church. Why should they care about it if church isn't important to you?

*You're sending that message to your children. Why should they care about church if you don't? If you're too tired or busy to attend on a regular basis, don't be surprised when they end up not going at all once they're adults.

*You're sending a message to your fellow believers. Your attendance encourages them. It also encourages the pastor and the Sunday School teacher and your fellow choir members and nursery workers and ushers. When you're not there, you're telling them that worshipping with them just isn't high on your priority list.

In the neighborhood--When we were missionaries in Uganda, the leaders of the town we were in told my husband that Christianity brought morals, integrity, discipline and character. That's true whether you live in Uganda or in the United States. With that in mind, if you're not witnessing to those around you, if you're not passing out Gospel tracts, if you're not inviting people to church, then you are voting for a decline in morals, integrity, discipline and character in the area in which you live.

These are just a few of the areas where we cast our vote as we go through our daily lives. So let me ask you, what are you voting for today?