This World is Not My Home and Trump is not My God

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I used to enjoy reading the news and listening to political talk shows.

Our political and justice systems are of great interest to me, as well as how politics shape and frame our daily lives as citizens, through voting, legislation, and our ability to influence those who represent us in Washington.

But lately, this interest has turned sour.

Media, politicians, and those who follow politics more closely resemble a toddler classroom than a group of adults with a sincere desire to do what is best for our country and it’s citizenry.

I don’t consider this waning interest in politics as a negative thing.

Not only do I want nothing to do with those who call their opponents snowflake, social justice warrior, libtard, alt-right, Trumpist…

…not to mention the other degrading names, such as Hitler, Nazi, unpatriotic, anti-American, deplorable, deranged, delusional, and the wide-range of various “phobics”,

I have come to realize two ways my preoccupation with politics caused me to become imbalanced as a Christian.

This world is not my home.

In the early years of our marriage, it didn’t take much for me to go off on a political rant.

It wasn’t just that I was serious about the decisions that affected American citizens, their take-home income, or their livelihoods, it was that I took it personally.

I’d get started and my heart would race, my voice would go up a few octaves…..and decibel levels, my face would get flushed…..

I would genuinely get angry.

But here’s the thing:

When talking about those things connected with God’s Kingdom and it’s citizenry, I took them neither as seriously nor as personally.

My heart rate was steady, my voice normal, my stress level low.

Clearly, I was still unaware of how much my heart was still set on things of this world.

Does this mean that we shouldn’t take seriously our right and responsibility to vote and influence legislation in our country? No.

But if politics affects us to a greater degree than sin, the lost, and our brothers and sister in persecuted countries who give their lives for the Kingdom of God, then we’ve lost sight of our true citizenship.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15

Trump is not my god

Okay, I know that’s use of hyperbole, because I actually don’t know anyone who thinks Trump is their god.

And yet, there is such a preoccupation with what he says, what he did, where he went, with whom he spoke, what he ordered for dinner.

Then Christians follow suit, falling into their own set of extremes, either writing Facebook posts in anger at him and everyone who voted for him…

or rushing to defend him and deny whatever the accusation may be, declaring fake news, and then predicting that he will go down as the best president in history.

And this extremism and preoccupation with the president has greatly divided the Christian community – which is both unhealthy an unbiblical.

This is not pleasing to God in any way!

• Christians should not have to defend their vote to other Christians.
• Christians should not be calling out other Christians for their vote.
• Christians should not be so quick to rush or defend any man, no matter who he is.

This world is not our home, and the president is neither devil nor divine!

It would better serve us as Christians to turn off the news, turn off the talk shows, walk away from politics and spend an hour on our knees interceding for the lost, oppressed, and persecuted in our own backyard and around the world.

It would better serve us as Christians to redirect our anger, passion, and devotion to prayer for our president, cabinet members, and politicians that God would give them divine wisdom in leading our country.

It would better serve us to spend more time in God’s Word than we do reading news websites.

Spend more time on our knees praying than we do listening to our favorite talk show hosts.

Finally, we should remember these two things:

1. News outlets are run by fallen man with an agenda and a personal slant, but

2. God’s Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is inerrant and transcends time and culture.

Let’s seek first the Kingdom!

Let’s remember that we are not citizens of this world!

We should be responsible and caring earthly citizens, but remember that we have a higher citizenship that trumps our earthly citizenship.

This world and all of its politics, news, corruption, and conspiracy theories will pass away, but what we do for the Kingdom of God will last forever!