Can God Really Help You?

When it comes to voting in the General Election we choose between a variety of candidates in our local constituency who represent the various political parties. The political party with the most elected candidates then forms a government. The candidate elected in our constituency is supposed to represent us in Parliament, although some do this better than others.

The difficulty with this system is that the local candidate representing our favoured political party may be a flawed character. Parliament is full of dishonourable MP’s, many of whom have been voted into office simply because they represented the most favoured party in their constituency (a safe seat, as it is known) The big question here is: ‘should Christians vote for an ungodly candidate?’.

In an ideal scenario Parliament would be full of decent upstanding MP’s that we could trust to make decisions about the way the country is governed. If all MP’s were like this it wouldn’t matter too much which party they represented because we could trust them to do the ‘right thing’. Unfortunately, as we know only too well, there are many MP’s who cannot be trusted and think of no one but themselves. Many are dishonest, have hidden agendas or vote for legislation that they do not agree with to support the party leader.

What would God say about this?

The Bible doesn’t tell us what to look for in a political candidate, but it does tell us what to look for in church leaders.

      “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
 
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.  I Timothy 3:1-10

The above passage of scripture relates to church leadership, but if we take out the issue of faith, consider the characteristics that God requires in his leaders.
1. Above reproach
2. Self-controlled
3. Respectable
4. Hospitable
5. Drinks very little
6. Gentle
7. Not quarrelsome
8. Honest and not a lover of money
9. Sincere
10. Manage his family well.
11. Faithful to his wife

If these are the characteristics that God requires in his church leaders, should we not expect the same in our Prime Minister and politicians?

There is a tendency to think that people can behave one way in public and a different way in private. Maybe they might lie to their wife, but they would not lie to the country. Think about this for a moment; unless we think our politicians are schizophrenic (two personalities) then they are what they are. They are either honest or they are not, if they need alcohol to get by in private then that tells you that what you are getting in public is a disturbed personality. If they will lie to their family, they will lie to you. The only thing that will restrain them is the factor of ‘what they think they can get away with’. The problem is the longer they are in power and the more power they have, the more they perceive that they can get away with.

For too long now unsuitable people have been voted into office simply because they represent a certain party. Is it time to show the political parties that if they can’t field honourable candidates then they won’t get our vote?  As a Christian, I urge you to look carefully at the characteristics of the political candidates in your constituency. Prayerfully consider who you should vote for.