Putting God First: A Christian Perspective on Politics

“God has bigger problems than politics.”

“I choose to stay out of politics.”

These are just two examples of things that Christians sometimes say about politics to avoid getting involved, but is that really what God is calling us to? I would argue that it is not. We live in this world, and in this world, there are political systems that are a rather large part of our lives, and God is not ignorant of this fact. In fact, God established a system of governance when He set out how the Israelites were to live in the first four books of the Bible.

In Jeremiah, God told the prophet, “And seek the peace and prosperity of the city which I have carried into exile, and pray to the Lord for it; for in it prospers you will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) In that same chapter, a few verses above, God tells Jeremiah and the people of Israel to build houses, settle down, and plant gardens. In other words, God wanted the people to work for the good of wherever He has put them, and I believe that He wants the same from us

Our country was founded on biblical principles, and for centuries, it thrived by living off these principles. The only way to get back what we once had is to return to a system that is tried and true. So, if we want to see our country prosper, we must fight to get our country back to the system that it once thrived on: loving God first, family second, and country and community third.

Putting God first in our country means two things: putting Him first in our homes and putting His priorities first in public life. …The gospel and Bible-based living are based on love—love for God and love for one another—but love is not tolerating or accepting evil. It is rejecting and hating what is evil and loving what is good, and the Bible is very clear about what is evil and what is good.

What is good: 

• to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39)
• Act with justice, show kindness, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8)
• To know and follow God’s truth in His word (Psalms 119:105)
• Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21)
• True love which is patient, kind, it does not envy or boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, it does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth, its always protects, always trusts, always hopes, it never fails. Love is a tall order, but it is the love that we receive from Christ, and in return, it is the love we should show to God and to others.

These are the things we should love and strive for in our personal lives and in our public lives.

What is evil?

Anything that breaks our relationship with God or others, not loving God or others, is evil, and we are to overcome those things.

• Lying
• Cheating
• Stealing
• Sleeping with anyone who is not your spouse, including premarital relationships and relationships with those whom God has not ordained for us to marry, e.i. People of the same sex.
• Making anything more important than God.
• Dishonoring your parents.
• Not remembering the sabbath
• Wanting what others have and what GOd has not given you.
• Murder, which includes taking the life of a preborn child, no matter what stage of development
• Using the Lord’s name in vain.
• Witchcraft
• Drunkenness
• Gossip
• Being a lover of self and of money more than of God and others
• Strife
• Jealousy
• Fits of anger

It all boils down to loving God and maintaining a relationship with Him and loving others.

What to do:

God told the Israelites that if they called on His name, humbled themselves, prayed and sought His face, and turned from their wicked ways, He would hear them from heaven and would forgive their sins and heal their land. If we are willing to confront the evils that have grown up in our land, in love, and we as a people will turn back to God and away from evil, God will hear us and heal our land. It is not too late to see a turning back to a political system and a way of life that once prospered our country. I don’t believe it is just possible; I believe that God calls us, as Christians, to strive for it. To strive to prosper our land and to want the best for our land—because the best for our land is God—is to live by His standards.

Practical Steps

• Pray for your country, states, and cities.
• Get involved in local and federal government by voting, advocating, or just speaking up when God leads you to.
• Ensure you are striving for God in your own life. Be an example for the next generation.
• Get involved in teaching the next generation about God and about His role in our country.