A Conversation with Pastors Paul and Christina Hanfere
We have been through a lot this year. We have been through a pandemic, financial challenges as a nation, racial injustice, and civil unrest. We have seen so much in the year 2020, and now we are in the final quarter with a heavily contested presidential election. Although, at the time of the recording, they did not know the results of the election, Pastors Paul and Christina Hanfere wanted to address how we can walk through this season in a way that honors God and the people in our community.
As believers of Christ, we must be equipped and empowered to have the character needed to make it through this politically charged season. There is so much invested in the results of the election. Whether happy or upset with the final results, it is important to be able to stay calm and remain firm in our faith.
The first thing that we should do is pause to process
The decision and direction this country will take will be pivotal for all of our lives. With the influence of social media and prevalent new outlets, opinions and thoughts are readily at our fingertips. These platforms have become a sounding board that have caused us to forget how to check our own hearts and ask ourselves, “How am I doing? Am I thinking clearly? Have I become too emotionally invested?” We have stopped asking these questions in a safe space and instead have become quick to respond and react to other people’s thoughts and feelings on public platforms.
There is beauty in pausing to process.
Pausing to process in prayer
Have we paused to process in prayer? This doesn’t have to mean going off to a mountain or cave. It means taking your concerns and the things you have processed to God. With all of the stimulants and agendas in the issues of politics, it is in prayer where God brings resolution, clarity, and correction to our hearts.
There is divine alignment in the place of prayer. God brings great calibration into our minds when we pray.
In Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians he urges them to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). There is an importance in the word of God where we are constantly instructed to pray. Pray without ceasing means we pray through all of the circumstances and seasons even in the ones with uncertainty and fear.
We do not stop praying during trials and tribulations, we continue to pray through them. The call and commission to prayer does not just stop once the results of the election are finalized. Whether or not your candidate wins or loses you must continue to find yourself in a place of prayer.
We must also realize that we do not pray for our leaders only when we agree with them.
The Apostle Paul writes “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). We pray so that regardless of who’s in power, we may live a peaceful and quiet life in godliness and holiness.
We are reminded by Scripture to pray for our enemies and those who have wronged us therefore we are equally called to pray for the leaders who we are in disagreement with.
Praying for someone is not contingent upon agreeing on how they lead. In prayer we are making room for the Holy Spirit to change and break areas in that person’s life while also softening our hearts towards how we feel about the person.
Be persistent with hope
Hope is the joyful expectation of good happening. Whether or not your candidate wins or loses, we have to be a people of hope in prayer.
Hebrews 6:19 states, “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.” Times are extremely unsure right now, however, we have a sure and steadfastness hope in Jesus. We have an anchor that is not based upon a political affiliation but one that is based upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Be mindful of how NOT to respond
James 1:19-26 gives us a clear indication and blueprint of how we should respond and not respond as believers of God by instructing us to,
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
Responding in a way of pride or arrogance, idolizing your party or candidate, believing that God is only on your side, thinking you have all the answers, are just a few ways of how not to respond. When you have this type of response it spills out in negative and corrupt ways that affects attitudes and relationships with friends and family.
Even if we feel we are one hundred percent right and get our way, God does not want us to gloat over our enemies when they fall, as Proverbs 24:17-18 states, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.”
Additionally, be cautious to not respond in devastation. When scripture was written in the Old Testament there were wars, plagues, famines, and lots of chaos caused by evil and complacent rulers; similar to what we see in our world today. We must always understand that we have a God who is on His rightful throne of power and will not and has not moved.
God is still on the throne
In Isaiah Chapter 6, it states, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.'"
The Almighty God is an eternal God. 100 years from now none of these candidates will still be alive. Candidates come and go but God is forever. Psalm 47:8 states, “God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.” Yes! God is on the throne, this is not a vain platitude, it is a reality we need to always keep on our minds. He is the only ruler that is fit to rule this world. He is infinitely wise and loving. When King Uzziah died the nation was in disarray. They felt vulnerable as a nation. And in the middle of this uncertainty God gave the prophet Isaiah this vision of Himself sitting on the throne, to reassure him that, regardless of who is or who isn’t in the earthly office of rulership over the state, God still reigns.
In conclusion
No political party or candidate is perfect.
There isn’t any political party that aligns exactly with God’s perfect standard. We recognize this and bring forward our life and personal circumstances while also identifying the things we don’t agree with and championing those causes by addressing and calling those things out.
God has not left us to guess or assume what He thinks about what matters to Him. It is laid out very clearly in scripture what issues matter to Him. We must take off our political filter and put on our Christ filter. We must take our cues from what the word of God says is important to Him.
Things such as the sanctity of life from the womb to the tomb, the sanctity of marriage and of the family, the life of the immigrant and the refugee, racial and social justice for all, the environment, and the poor and marginalized are all important to God.
We are not left to guess; Scripture clearly lays out where God’s value system is and what matters to God. We must make it known that we do not take our cues from social media or trending culture, but only from the perfect standard of God’s word on every issue.
Who are we taking our cues from when it comes to how we respond? Is it the world or is it the word of God? Are we bearing fruits of the Spirit or fruits of the world? Are we witnesses of Christ's character by loving and praying for our enemies or are we witnesses of the character of Satan by sowing discord, pride, and envy amongst our own family?
Let’s be an instrument for healing and not an instigator of strife in this already negative world.
The world is watching, but more importantly God is watching.
Zema Meseretu serves as Communication Director and co-lead of the administration team at Overflow City Church in Silver Spring Maryland. She is an alumna of the University of Maryland where she received her BA in English Language and Literature. She is currently a masters candidate at Georgetown University to earn an MPS in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. She has a heart for partnering with people towards championing their gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God.
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