My ideas and my words, edited with AI.
Christians who vote Republican and are fearful today, your response is to pray. If you truly believe that your God is bigger, pray. And if you don't know what to pray, try this: "God, surprise me today."
Christians who vote Democrat and are joyful today, your response is to pray. If you truly believe that your God is bigger, pray. And if you don't know what to pray, try this: "God, surprise me today."
What changed
I have been changed over the last decade. And since old habits die hard, the turnaround is slow. I was blessed in that faith was easy for me as a child. I had (and still have) one of the best dads anyone could have. So it was easy for me to project how much better a perfect and loving God could be.
The downside is that my faith wasn't ever truly tested. I can say that it has been tested now. I'm not naive enough to believe it can't get harder, either. Job proved that. However, life has a way of humbling us and putting us through the wringer. That's been true for me.
So what changed in response? I think for the first time in my life I truly let go of control and let God drive. First, I started yelling at him.
"Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not 'So there's no God after all,' but 'So this is what God's really like. Deceive yourself no longer.'"
C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed
Let me tell you, I began to YELL at God. And I wasn't even sure I was coming back. Everything was on the table.
Then when I got tired, I eventually learned to just sit in the mess. While I was sitting there, I think I also learned how to listen. For the first time in my life, I heard God speaking to me. I'm certain he's been there all along, but I was clinging so much to my own understanding that I failed to hear him.
The Good News
I have written a little bit on the healing journey, and I'll write more. But what I want to focus on today is the Good News. Sure, I still have the best earthly dad on the planet. But now I am aware of the best heavenly dad, too.
So, my faith and understanding are a bit different today. The Bible has come alive for me in ways I never dreamed. And after my summer trip to Israel with my brother-in-law, Ben Bailey, it now comes with visuals of the places. God's Word has never been more real to me than today.
And the more I read with a new heart, the more it makes sense. And the more I see Jesus, the only perfect one, the more flaws I see in humanity (including myself). Fortunately, none of this really depends on humanity. God's got this. He's in control. Suffering will always be, but Jesus is eternal.
It's all Caesar's
Regardless of whether you are joyful or fearful about the election results last night, the glory is that it doesn't matter. It's all Caesar's anyway. I don't understand why we are all arguing so fervently over Caesar's stuff. And to make it worse, all sides (the Pharisees and the Romans, who admittedly weren’t looking for him) completely missed the guy, our Savior, Jesus, YHWH in the flesh.
I think another thing that has become so obvious, and has significantly changed, is that I am much more aware that the spiritual realm is real and it's a significant war. I am very aware of the evil one lurking, manipulating, obfuscating, and distracting. And American society, at least, has simply turned into the walking dead. Zombies. Lifeless and disconnected from the true power source.
So, no, I don't care about last night's election results. I'm giving to Caesar what is Caesar's. I'm choosing to follow Jesus instead. And I can promise you, no matter how much the Christian Nationalist Right or the Nationalist Christian Left tries to twist Jesus' message, or squeeze it into their narrowly defined box, I'm not buying into it. Make no mistake, Talarico and Trump are two sides of the same coin... Caesar's coin.
So I'm praying
I am praying for them both today. I pray God reaches into their hearts today. I pray they and their most fervent followers will seek true wisdom today. And I pray God leads Texas and the country through them. King David, of all people, knew that some of the worst of humanity can still be led by God.
But the best news is, Jesus wins no matter what. So I'm praying for YOU today. Let's lay down our torches. Let's stop putting our faith in men. Let's pray to the Almighty today for wisdom. Let's pray for something surprising today!
P.S. I borrowed "God, surprise me" from Ryan Skoog, on the Blurry Creatures podcast (episode 480). He co-wrote Lead with Prayer, and there are free prayer cards at leadwithprayer.com.
P.P.S. For anyone worried about their money this morning: Dimensional charted the stock market back to 1926, president by president. Stocks trended higher under both parties. See the chart here.
