With the choice of presidential candidates before us tomorrow, none of which are leaders I would have chosen to be in authority over me, I am perplexed with the question of what to do.
Trump has led a life of immorality, is disrespectful in his language, is pridefully self-confident, and lacks the experience and integrity essential for the position of president of the United States. On the other hand, Clinton, an avowed supporter of murder and sodomy, promises to promote the very things that Scripture clearly condemns; as an advocate of socalistic ideals, she would be an absolute catastrophe for America, to say the least.

If my vote were to mean that I endorse, support, condone, put confidence in, or sign my name by either one of these candidates and their past, present or future actions, there is no way my conscience would allow me to vote for either.

But is that what it means to vote?

Of course, I do have the option to not vote at all, or to vote for a third-party candidate. But to not vote would be to mock my God-given privilege and responsibility as a United States citizen to engage on a surface level in the spiritual warfare that rages in this country. And to vote for a third-party candidate when there is no real third-party to choose from, is, well, doing the exact same thing. Of course, if I had unreservedly invested time, resources and energy in joint effort with millions of others to bring to the ballot a third-party candidate that we could enthusiastically and corporately vote for, then, well, I would be very happy to vote for a third party.

But short of a heaven-initiated miracle, the reality of this election leaves us with only two options. And thus the perplexity. Do I really have to vote for the better of two evils again?

And so, if nothing else, this election has helped me to understand more clearly than ever before what it actually means to vote. To vote is to formally make a choice. To vote is to simply choose between the options that God has sovereignly placed before me.

My vote is not putting confidence in someone. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” Psalm 118:8-9. My confidence is in God! If voting means to put my trust in an earthly individual for future security and prosperity than there would be only one candidate for whom I could vote: Jesus Christ himself. If by voting I mean to expect from man what only God can provide, I must beware.

My vote is not signing my name to an agreement or declaring an affiliation with a candidate. Just because I vote for someone doesn’t mean I agree with them. If this were true, then there would be no one on earth I could vote for, regardless of how conservative or Scripturally accurate they may be.

My vote is not an endorsement or token of support for a person or platform. “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” Romans 13:1b. I live to bring glory to God, so I will use my better judgment to choose which of the two evils would better facilitate my ability to do so in every-day life.

So let us remember, as we pray for and participate in this critical day of our nation’s history, that our vote is simply a wise and solemn choice between the options that God has sovereignly placed before us. God will use the one He elects however He chooses. “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.”

For further reading, here are two resources that have strongly influenced my decision to vote for the Trump/Pence ticket vs the Clinton/Kaine ticket based on the policies they promise to stand by despite my reluctance and complete lack of support for either of the candidates: Prayer and Soul-Searching by Joel Rosenberg, and the Decision of Senator Ted Cruz.  Let us not look for a savior in a president, but pray rather that God would use our elected leaders as tools to bring God’s people back into right relationship with Him.