By Danny Minton

The commercials have ceased, the conceding phone calls have been made, the losing celebration parties have been canceled, winning speeches have been made, and transition talks have begun. Another presidential election has come and gone. The first election I remember in detail was the Kennedy campaign in 1960. I remember negative comments and concerns being thrown around among the adults, and I began to take on their feelings even though I was too young to vote. As I think back on the 15-plus election seasons I have witnessed, it is evident that things are pretty much the same.

The winners are excited and looking forward to accomplishing what their party sees as the crucial issues. The losing party is depressed and down, vowing to make sure their agenda continues to try and make it through the channels of Congress. Emotions range from excitement and joy on one end to sadness and anger on the other. Blame for the loss will be passed from person to person, and no one will take responsibility. Some will threaten to leave the U.S., but they won’t. Others will protest for a while. For the next four years, there will be arguments and complaints about “the other side.” The cycle will continue in four years, just as it has been for generations before.

Like 79 percent of the country, I had decided last summer who I would vote for. Like many, I was not a fan of either candidate. So, I decided that no matter who won, I would put my trust in God. The candidates were simply humans with personal and party goals and ideals. The emotions people face come from putting their trust in a man or woman instead of God. I can only hope that the person I give my vote will be close to the Christian ideals I hold in obedience to God.

People will disappoint us. They will make mistakes, choose paths different than we like, and do things that cause us to lose trust in them. The psalmist wrote, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in men.” (NASB) Jeremiah later penned, “Thus says the LORD, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 (NASB)  The Old Testament is filled with stories of how following men instead of God led to disaster. The book of Judges is a cycle where men follow a human leader, leading to destruction when they forget God. When they realize their mistake and turn back to God, things improve. However, the cycle continues repeatedly. Following men brings failure, but God is always there to rescue them. The people learned again when they wanted a king. Eventually, the turning from God led to their fall and being taken into exile.

At the end of my emails, I added a verse from the book of Joshua. God has given the Israelites a new home. Joshua tells them there will be a pull to worship and follow those who proclaim another god. He tells them that with the challenge comes a choice. They can follow the wrong ways of the people of the land or choose to follow God against the pull of those who would lead them astray. Joshua then gives them his decision, recorded in Joshua 24:15. “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” 

We should follow and obey our leaders, whether we like them or not. However, when those who lead go against the ways God has taught us, we have to make a choice. Do we mindlessly follow, or do we choose God’s ways? “Chose this day whom you will serve…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ