God’s Values Are On The Ballot—Why Aren’t Christians Voting?
By Kim Miller |
What’s on your ballot is not really candidates—it’s values. God cares about governments because governments impact people—people He values.
Does God want families and communities free to thrive?
Does God care about rampant crime?
Does God want women and babies protected from harm?
Does God say parents have rights to protect their own children from sexualization?
Does God want people free to speak and to worship?
Does God want His people to do our part to influence the world we live in? – YES! Your vote is a gift–fought for by our country’s founders and the millions of soldiers who died protecting it. Your vote is also a privilege and a duty.
God has asked His people to actively care for others and our world. Yet, recent research says 32 million Christians who regularly attend church are unlikely to vote this election. Almost HALF of all people of faith say they don’t plan to vote. The margin of victory in the swing states during the 2020 presidential election was only about 600,000 votes.
Do you know what this means? If even a tiny percentage of non-voting people of faith would just show up to vote, our country would be restored to basic Biblical values of freedom and strength almost immediately.
The national study by George Barna of Arizona Christian University’s Christian Research Center reveals that the 49% who are not likely to vote in November, represents about 104 million eligible non-voters in the “people of faith” segment. Of those people, it’s predicted that 5 million additional Christians would likely vote if their pastor encouraged them to do so.
Barna said, “[T]he 32 million Christians sitting in the pews each week who refuse to vote are a gamechanger. It’s low hanging fruit for pastors as they try to motivate those congregants to carry out their civic duty and honor God through their influence for things that matter in our culture.”
If Arizona pastors simply encourage their members to vote, it will change everything!
If Arizona church-goers simply encourage each other to vote, it will make a HUGE difference!
One main reason Christians say they don’t vote is because they feel uninformed. Get together with your Bible study groups; grab some friends in your faith circles! Have coffee and discuss together what’s on your ballots. We’re asking people to hold a ‘Ballot Coffee/Party’—just a simple coffee or casual gathering where friends and family can discuss their ballots together and have fun while completing their own ballots, based on their values and accurate information—like our AZWOA Voter Guide.
It is our contention that it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to vote and to vote for leaders who promote Christian principles. God is most certainly in control, but that does not mean we should do nothing to further His will. We are commanded to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). In terms of politics and leadership, there is evidence in Scripture that God has been displeased with our choices of leadership at times (Hosea 8:4). The evidence of sin’s grip on this world is everywhere. Much of the suffering on earth is because of godless leadership (Proverbs 28:12). Scripture gives Christians instructions to obey legitimate authority unless it contradicts the Lord’s commands (Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7). As born-again believers, we ought to strive to choose leaders who will be themselves led by our Creator (1 Samuel 12:13-25). Candidates or proposals that violate the Bible’s commands for life, family, marriage, or faith should never be supported (Proverbs 14:34). Christians should vote as led through prayer and study of both God’s Word and the realities of the choices on the ballot.
Calling all people of faith!!—This great and free nation was formed by ‘the church’. And it will ONLY be revived by people of the church! EVERY ONE of us must do our part—by prayer, by grace, in truth, through community, in action.
Kim Miller is the President and Founder of Arizona Women of Action. You can find out more about their work here.
