It’s very easy for people to exaggerate and/or inflate the current state of affairs by saying something like, “I don’t ever remember it being THIS bad!” But in relation to the sharp sense of division that currently exists in our country, I believe that is a true statement. And a great deal of it centers around our president. Even professing followers of Jesus are greatly divided on him, some saying he’s an answer to prayer and just what our country needs and others saying he’s an embarrassment that taints the dignity of the office and diminishes our standing in the world.
One of the principles I adopted during my pastoral ministry was that, while I might speak to certain issues or policy-related matters where I believed there was a clear moral dimension, I never endorsed or publicly supported any particular candidate. For instance, I never put signs in my yard or bumper stickers on my car, simply because no candidate fully represented and embraced the interests of the Kingdom of God. I also had issue with those “non-partisan voting guides” that would be distributed to churches so folks could learn where the candidates stood on certain issues. My issue was that I felt like the issues that were selected for inclusion had a particular political bias … as if those were the only issues people of faith should ever care about. As someone who believes my ultimate loyalty is to God’s Kingdom, I didn’t want to compromise or diminish my support for it by promoting someone who didn’t fully embrace His standard.
That said—I do believe the Bible has clear guidelines as to how we should relate to those in authority over us … guidelines that sometimes we fail to uphold because we look at the world through a lens that is shaped by a political platform, or one of the 24-hour news channels, and not by the Word of God.
Scripture teaches us we’re to respect our leaders and those in authority over us. The apostle Peter says, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13–14). Paul added: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). What’s interesting is these statements were originally made to people who were part of the Roman empire when Nero—a notoriously depraved and ungodly man—was emperor.
It's clear that in spite of what we think about the character and qualifications of those in authority over us, we’re to respect their position and pray for them. It has always bothered me when professing followers of Jesus spend more time chastising and criticizing our leaders than interceding for them.
Secondly—another fact to bear in mind is that God often surprises us with the people He elevates, and uses, to advance His agenda. For instance, He used the Egyptian pharaoh to elevate Joseph to a position of influence so he could save the nation of Israel. He used the Persian king Cyrus to free the Jews from Babylonian captivity. I’ve heard some people refer to President Trump as a Cyrus-like leader—they wouldn’t want him on the church board or teaching their Sunday School class, but they’re fine with someone of his temperament and personality occupying the Oval Office. They also value his pro-life stance and commitment to appoint federal judges who share that view.
But on the flip side, others believe personal character is foundational to effective leadership, saying the expectations the Bible spells out as necessary for leadership in the church (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1) are essential to leadership no matter what the realm. Just as Nathan called out King David for his sexual sin (2 Samuel 12) and John the Baptist rebuked King Herod for his personal immorality (Mark 6:18), we have a responsibility to hold those in authority over us to an elevated standard when it comes to their ethics and personal behavior. People who conduct themselves in shady and/or unethical ways betray trust, and trust is the foundation of effective leadership.
Regardless of where we fall as it relates to President Trump’s leadership style and personal conduct, I believe it is vital we relate to him in ways that honor the Lord and advance our witness. In Titus we read that we should, “Slander no one, … be peaceable and considerate, and always … be gentle toward everyone” (3:2). While it is okay to speak out and defend biblical principles, we should measure what we say, and how we say it, by whether it will glorify the Lord and serve to open more people up to Him. At the same time, when we object to our president’s actions or decisions, we should view it as a call to pray and not to denounce. Oswald Chambers said it so well: “God never gives us discernment of what is wrong for us to criticize it, but that we might intercede.”
Lets bear this is mind: Our calling is not to win debates, but to influence souls. If we drive people away from Christ because of the manner in which we support, or oppose, the president, we will have lost far more than we can ever hope to gain. For a thousand years from now, the Trump administration will have come and gone and no one will even remember the man. But Jesus will still be King! And what matters most in eternity is what should matter most to us today.