I am writing this prior to the election. However, I believe these thoughts remain relevant for all Christians no matter the results of the election or how you voted.

God's plan has not changed one iota. In fact, the election results are part of God's plan that He established prior to the world's creation (Eph. 1:11). This does not mean that you should not work in a campaign (if you did) or that you did not need to vote. The sovereign God works through these secondary causes to bring about the plan He already established. We take comfort that God's plan has not changed even though we have many newly elected civil authorities.

Secondly, no matter who was elected God will work through them for His glory. He will turn their aims and purposes as He sees fit. (Prov. 21:1) If your candidate did not win, all is not lost, God rules over the victorious candidate and party. If your candidate did win, your trust must be in God, not in the newly elected leader.

Both major party presidential candidates have campaigned on the basis of the need for change. The word "change" has seemingly registered well with voters. I heard a speaker say in a recent meeting, "The change we need is that of repentance." I agree with him. As a nation and as individuals we need to turn from sin and turn to God. That is the essence of repentance. New leaders cannot bring about this change. Only God can forgive greed, envy, corruption, idolatry, pride and the many other sins that plague us. He can replace, because of Christ's work on the cross, these evil actions with actions that manifest a love for God and a love for our neighbor. Civil authorities are not messiahs. They cannot do what God alone can do. Even if your candidate was not elected God can still pour out repentance on a people. His word or His activity is not bound by who holds office. Our hope must ultimately be in God to bring about change, not in man. Thus, whoever has won, we need to continue to pray that God will bring spiritual revival throughout the land. Regarding repentance, these verses remain as apt today as the day they were inspired - Prov. 8:36, 14:34 and 28:13.

Although government leaders change, God calls us to be continually faithful to Him. No matter what the leadership scenario, we may or may not feel like serving God. Our feelings do not negate God's calling of obedience in our life.

We cannot imagine what Noah faced from the culture around him as he sought, over decades, to build the ark and preach to the surrounding populace. There, no doubt, were many days when he did not feel like cutting another board or driving another nail. Yet he continued in obedience. Noah did not rest in the fact that he had found grace in God's eyes. He was spurred to obedience out of his love for God. In Gen 6:22 and 7:5 we read that Noah faithfully obeyed God. Heb 11:6 tells that Noah was moved with a godly fear to build the ark. Peter, reflecting on Noah's life, states that he was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). There is no record of anyone coming to faith as a result of Noah's preaching. Yet he persisted in proclamation to the point that he was known as a preacher of righteousness.

God's call to obedience continues for us in and outside our home, in and outside of the workplace, In the face of disappointment, and the temptation to grow apathetic and adopt an "I don't care" attitude, God's call for our faithfulness is unchanged. It does not change in the midst of defeat and/or rejection.

Although none of us knows what the future holds, our culture may disintegrate more than it has. If this occurs we must maintain God's standard of ethics. It will be very easy for us and/or our children to compromise and feel comfortable in a particular sin because it is not nearly as bad as currently flagrant sins in society. (We easily forget that culturally acceptable sins today such as unmarried singles living in marital relationship were frowned on several generations ago. The acceptance of these relationships opened the door for less acceptable practices to then become more publicly practiced and discussed in a positive framework.)

Even though man allows much that is counter to God's unchanging word, we must constantly judge what we allow and what we practice by the standard of God's word. Our criteria can never be primarily what makes our children happy or what fits with peer pressure. We must continually draw the ethical line where God draws it and teach our children not to step across it.

Living in a post-election society requires God's grace (even as did living prior to the election). Our God is fully able to strengthen us and give us the courage and daily boldness we need to live unto His glory. May this be our aim in the coming days.

©2008 Byron Snapp, Hampton, Virginia