Genesis 1:27-28, New King James Version

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

I recently heard someone say that God does not expect us to get involved in politics. God has established a government, and He has given us a duty to fulfill our civil rights. Elections are coming up in November. It is a historical moment for America, that could go one way or the other. To those of you who don’t plan to vote, I urge you to finish reading this article, pray, and seek God and His will, and reconsider your decision! 

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female, He created them. Then God bless them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:27-28, NKJV)

In the scripture, we see that God has established a government. He gives the command to subdue the earth and have dominion over it. Subdue means to take authority. After Peter tells Jesus He is the Christ, the living Son of God, Jesus says, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19, NKJV)What are the keys that Jesus is giving Peter, that He is giving His disciples? These keys are the authority to bring heaven to earth. God has given us the same authority when He gave us the great commission!

Let us look at two stories from the Old Testament. As they have been put in the position of queen. While in this position, she respected her authority, the king. When her people were facing annihilation, she put her own life on the line to rise up against evil and save her people. (Esther)

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told to bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue, they refused. Though they were thrown into the fiery furnace, there were not three, but four men in the furnace. Christ, our Lord, saved them from death, and because of their faithfulness to God, their God, our God was acknowledged, and they were promoted to higher positions in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3)

These are challenging times we are living in. No more challenging than the times of Esther or the three Hebrew children from Daniel 3. We must be determined to follow God, no matter the cost! If we truly trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness, then we must believe Him when He says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

When we vote, let us not make a decision based on who we like or don’t like. That is not wisdom. God’s word tells us that people fade like the grass. But His words endure forever! What policies lineup with God’s word? What honors God and what goes against His word? This, as Christians, is what we should base our decision on. As I said, people will fade away, but the policies put in place will affect our families, our children, our freedom as Americans. Not only will this affect America, but it will touch the world. Let us fulfill our civic duty and vote for the policies that biblically align with God’s word!