America Needs a Different Type of Leader

By David Jesse, Op-Ed Contributor Saturday, October 20, 2012

I'm a political junkie. I'm often found in my car listening to news shows and talk radio. I've not only watched each of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Debates, but I've spent countless hours watching the spin afterwards and reading articles about the different points each candidate has made. I've volunteered on campaigns and even worked as a legislative researcher. I love politics.

That's why I was surprised at my reaction to a comment made by my wife last night as we watched Dinesh D'Souza's Obama's America: 2016. She's not into politics nearly to the extent that I am. She's informed and wants to know what's going on, but she doesn't obsess about it like I do. She's like most Americans. She's concerned about where our county is heading, and wants to see things turn around. So as we reached the climax of the documentary, she commented, "What we really need is a president who will lead America back to God."

Her comment was positive and showed that she understands that our nation's only hope is to return to the Biblical foundation it was built upon. But my reaction to her comment surprised me, and has been bugging me ever since. I should have agreed with her. I should be among the countless number of Christians who are praying that God will raise up a president who will seek God's guidance and will be used to stem our nation's moral and spiritual decline. Only then, is there any hope to overcome the economic and political challenges our nation faces.

But instead of agreeing with her, I found myself thinking that the last thing we need as a nation is another president that we expect will fix all of our problems. I don't really believe that it matters if you supported President Obama's campaign in 2008, it was clear four years ago that most Americans were looking for a transformational leader who would bring "hope" and "change" to our nation. And after four years, we should all be convinced that a single man sitting in the Oval Office is not going to be the solution to our nation's problems. America needs a different type of leader.

Our nation needs God's People – the Church – to start being what it was intended to be. Our nation's economy is crumbling because we as Christians have failed to live according to the economic principles found in God's Word. Our country's marriages are failing because those within the Body of Christ aren't following the covenant principles found in Scripture. Our schools are a mess, because parents have handed off the responsibility of raising their children to an education system that is more concerned with teaching political correctness and environmental conservation than reading, writing, arithmetic, and character. Crime is on the rise, because we no longer have a moral compass to guide us.

Jesus said that His people will be salt and light. We are failing in this area. And our country is all the worse for it. But along with the bad news, there is good.

The election – as important as it is – won't change the long term direction of our nation. It may affect gas prices and taxes and social programs and foreign policy, but regardless of whether or not your candidate wins or loses, there is still hope for our nation. And that hope is found in Jesus Christ.

I know, that may sound trite or overly simplistic. But let me ask you to stop and consider this: if every person in America who claims the name of Jesus Christ, were to experience a "change" of heart and a return to the "hope" found in the Word of God that made our nation great, would a government or president be able to stop the impact that these people were having on society? Could any political party or regulator agency be able to slow down this movement? Could our nation finally experience the real and lasting "hope and change" that we so long for?

I'll vote for my candidate for president on November 6th. But only with the conviction that the leader our nation needs, won't be sitting in the White House in January. He's sitting on His throne in Heaven and ruling in my heart.

He's the leader that America truly needs.