God's World is Bigger Than Ours

I have had the privilege this weekend of being one of the speakers at a missions conference at Crossroads Community Church in China, Michigan. Pastor Mike Cadrette and his wife, Sharon, have been good friends to Lori and I over the years and it is always a pleasure to get to visit with their congregation. There are several of us missionaries that the church supports here and I really do enjoy getting to hear the updates from what God is doing through other ministries and in different parts of the world.

For all of us, I think it is good for us to get periodic reminders that the God we serve is much bigger than the little churches that we are a part of or the ministries in which we work. It is comforting to me to know that God is always at work in the world. There may be times that I may not feel like I’m experiencing that reality, but the fact remains that He is in the business of changing lives and He doesn’t show partiality in doing so.

While reflecting on these truths, I can’t help but think about the current election season that we Americans are in. It seems like the petty narrow-mindedness is entering new levels and, to be honest with you, I’m disgusted by it. Unfortunately, it appears that some that are leading this wave of negativity identify themselves as Christ followers. The extreme religious right is losing its grip on the young evangelical vote and it looks like desperation is setting in.

I don’t claim to know how Jesus would vote if he were alive in the U.S. today or how he would campaign were He running for office, but I’m fairly certain that He wouldn’t engage in the spreading of rumors, intentionally lying or below-the-belt name calling. And please don’t feel that my words are only for the far right because those on the extreme left are just as guilty. No matter what perspective you may be coming from, deceitful and mean behavior is never acceptable for those that name Christ as their Lord.

The trouble with some of us Christians is that we think we have the corner on the market of truth when it comes to faith and, therefore, we know everything about all things. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), this is not the case. We are prone to the same kind of unfair judgments, biases and prejudices as anybody else. My hope is that we are each growing in our relationship with God to the point that we listen more to what He has to say than what Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olbermann tells us to think.

God’s world is much bigger than our own. While I’m pretty sure that He cares about the U.S. election, He also is concerned with who runs other countries as well. I doubt He is in heaven right now wringing His hands over who gets elected. His plan has been in motion for thousands of years and though He does invite us to make a difference in our world, He is ultimately the King of all. And a vote for King Jesus is one that I’ll cast every year.