In early October, the Barna Research Group and Arizona Christian University published findings that show that an extraordinary number of professing Christians in America have no intention of voting in this election.
They reported that around 104 million “people of faith” plan to sit out his election. Of those, 32 million are professing Christians.
The main reason these Christians give for declining to vote is a “lack of interest.” Researchers found that “voter enthusiasm” is significantly lower in 2024 than it was in 2020.
In addition, “over half (57%) of the respondents in the study said they dislike all the major candidates, while 55% felt none of the candidates reflect their most important views. At least half of all respondents also felt like their one vote wouldn’t make a difference and have grown weary of the controversial nature of the voting process now.”
What motivates my decision to vote?
But should Christians base our voting practices, or our civic engagement, on our level of enthusiasm? What should our attitude be toward voting?
That is, should Christians vote? And if you choose not to vote, on what basis is that a viable option?
Our attitude toward voting should be the same as every other aspect of life as a follower of Christ. For every decision we make, when compared to how a non-Christian might make the same decision, we should ask, What does following Christ mean in this situation?
If I make my decisions the same way anyone else would, then what difference does it make that I am a Christian?
You may decide not to vote for every office, or on every issue, but declining to participate in the process at all ignores the stewardship of citizenship. As followers of Christ, all that we do is in stewardship to our discipleship.
In 2020, some Christian leaders claimed that sitting out that election would be the best call. I disagreed then, and I disagree now. In short, if there is no compelling reason not to vote, in principle, Christians should participate in the election process.
And I believe that this is supported by the Bible. To put another way, the US Constitution gives a Christian the right to vote. But the Bible gives you a reason to vote.
It’s about leaders
Whenever the Bible references government, it’s almost always in the context of leaders, and God holds His people accountable for the leaders they choose for the nation (Hosea 8:4).
The Bible stresses the character of leaders and how that character impacts the people, the community, and the country. These principles apply to leaders at local as well as national levels.
For example, two passages in the Bible reflect the significance of choosing the right leaders. Both were written by King Solomon, who knew a bit about good leadership and bad leadership because, at times, he was both.
In Proverbs 28:28, Solomon says, “When the wicked come to power, people hide, but when they are destroyed, the righteous flourish.”
Don’t get hung up on the word “destroyed.” Solomon is not advocating violence against government officials, but he is stressing the need to remove them from power.
But then, right after that, like a mirror image of 28:28, Solomon includes Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, people groan.”
If you are a Christian and you are still on the fence, consider these scriptures and a few others. Here are four reasons to vote.
- To prevent evil
Christians serve as a moral voice in their culture. Salt and light, Jesus says (Matt. 5:13-16).
Notice that when the “wicked rule” the citizens “hide” and “groan.” Those words evoke two images that frequently describe how people respond when bad people are in power.
They “hide.” The idea is that the citizens act in secret or say in private what they would prefer to say or do in public. Why? They hide for fear of the government. They fear retribution, retaliation, jail, or just being canceled.
And good people “groan.” It’s painful and woeful for the nation to have bad people in power. People that promote evil instead of good, and people who permit crime instead of curtailing it, are a disgrace to the nation (Prov. 14:34). The whole nation suffers when bad people are in power.
- To promote good
On the other hand, voting can be a proactive action.
Prov 29:2 says that when the right people are in office and they “flourish,” the nation will “rejoice.”
In this context, “righteous” leaders are those who acknowledge God and accept His dictates as being best for the nation. They “flourish,” and so does the nation. The term “flourish” encompasses the whole life of a people.
With the right leaders in office, the people experience progress and prosperity. The people rejoice because good things happen in the nation under “righteous” leaders.
- To practice faith
When Christians act, we are obligated to consider our decisions and actions from a faith perspective. And we are privileged to trust God for the outcome and for the future (Rom. 14:23).
You are accountable to Him for your decisions, including whether you vote and how you vote.
Your voting is an exercise of your faith (Col. 3:17). If you neglect to vote out of fear of the future, you are showing a lack of faith (Heb. 11:6). If you refuse to vote because you don’t think you will get what you want, or you assume your vote doesn’t matter, you are ignoring God’s sovereignty over all nations and governments (Rom. 13:10).
No candidates are perfect. True. But when you vote, you are not picking God. We already have a God, and we have a Savior. When you vote, you are trusting God for the future.
God is sovereign over the nations (Ps. 22:28). The person you vote for should be the person you believe God wants in office. Then, in ways we cannot always foresee or understand, God will use our choices, including our votes, to advance His greater purposes.
Faith shows in our participation, not our passivity.
- To preserve freedom
When you exercise your right to vote, you are participating in the same process that gives you and me the right to preach, teach, evangelize, and worship without government interference.
Refusing to vote to protect these rights nearly guarantees the erosion of rights and, eventually, the complete dissolution of the rights we have in our nation that permit us to exercise our faith.
Neutrality is a myth. Hoping nothing bad will happen while sitting idle is dangerously naïve (2 Cor. 2:11). We always get what we either allow or create. Always.
So, remember, the US Constitution gives you the right to vote. But the Bible gives you a reason to vote.
*This blog originated as a sermon I preached at the First Baptist Church of Shallotte October 27, 2024. You can watch the sermon here.