What never do politics spiritually alone means
Election years bring out the worst in us. Never-ending news cycles, partisan divisions, and social media trolling make it hard to feel anything other than frustrated and overwhelmed by what we’re experiencing daily.
For Christians, election season presents an added challenge — one that none of us are up to facing on our own. Believers are called to engage in civic life by advocating for principles that reflect Kingdom values while speaking the truth in love, and holding fast to our unity with others. Doing any one of these three, much less all three at the same time feels overwhelming and impossible — because it is.
As a Christian who’s worked in the political arena for 25 years, I personally can attest to the fact that it’s impossible to live up to God’s expectations of me during an election year. Something always gives — either truth wins and love fails, or vice versa, with our unity inevitably suffering as a result of our failures. Literally every time I do politics in my own strength, I fail miserably. So, it’s no surprise that a question I regularly get is, “How do we stay true to our convictions without compromising God’s command to love and stay unified with those we disagree with, especially in the heat of an election year?”
My best and only response to those brave enough to ask this question is “by never doing politics alone.” Believers’ only hope of not blowing their witness over politics, is actively partnering with the Holy Spirit. Politics are rife with traps and snares that only the Holy Spirit can help us navigate. We need the Holy Spirit to help us discern who and what to vote for, as well as how to engage those we disagree with.
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In Ephesians 4, we’re warned to not be “...blown here and there … by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” — which sounds like every campaign I’ve ever been a part of or observed. Instead, Jesus instructs us in Matthew 10, “to be wise as serpents” and “innocent as doves.”
It’s easy to get caught up in election-year lies, especially when we align with one party over another. Our natural inclination is to believe everything “our” side says while disavowing everything that comes out of the other side’s mouth. However, doing so makes us beholden to the wisdom of man, which Scripture calls “foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Cor 3:19). By partnering with the Holy Spirit, rather than a political party, candidate, or ideology, we are empowered with supernatural wisdom to discern truth from lies.
However, we only get wisdom if we do the actual work of acquiring it. Wisdom doesn’t just fall into our lap as a by-product of our salvation; we have to “get wisdom” by proactively seeking it (Proverbs 4:5-7) — which too few of us even bother to do. By this time in an election cycle, we’re usually convinced that we already have all the answers we need, which leads us to reject the gift of wisdom that King Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived) instructs us to sell everything to gain (Proverbs 4:5)! Thankfully, all that gaining wisdom requires is humility on our part, to seek and receive from the Holy Spirit all that is rightfully ours.
The same Spirit that helps us discern truth also empowers us to speak with grace and love. However, I personally find it nearly impossible to speak lovingly with those I disagree with.
As an attorney and paid political commentator, I want to win every argument and leave the other side bleeding (metaphorically speaking, of course). However, that’s not my mandate as a Believer, who’s instructed to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Apart from the Holy Spirit, this would be an impossible task for someone as petty as me. But by partnering with the Holy Spirit, I am empowered not only to speak the truth in love but also to pray for and bless my political enemies.
This is easier said than done and takes practice. One way to grow in this area is by gathering a small group to commit to walking out these principles. Work through a study on civic engagement with Kingdom principles (here’s a free one I’ve put together). Ask questions. Share challenges. Gain insight from the testimonies and failures of others (like me) on the journey of learning how to speak the truth in love in politics.
We were never meant to navigate the political realm — or any cultural realm — in our own strength and wisdom. We need the Holy Spirit’s help whenever we engage because loving our political enemies goes against the tide of everything that’s modeled and taught. Rather than mimic the ways of the world, our job is to reset the political tone in America. As my youth pastor always said, “Christians should be thermostats, not thermometers.” That’s especially true in politics, and particularly important here and now.
Because unlike those who consider foreign enemies the gravest threat to our nation, I believe that internal division is an immediate and existential threat to America. As both Scripture and Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). Right now, America is on the brink of splitting into red and blue halves. Only a commitment to partner with the Holy Spirit can empower us to unify our country and save us from ourselves. For what good would it do to win this election, and lose both our country and our souls?
Denise Grace Gitsham is an on-air political commentator, attorney, speaker, and author of Politics for People Who Hate Politics: How to Engage without Losing Your Friends or Selling Your Soul.
An election year group study guide can be downloaded at www.denisegracegitsham.com/study. Prior to starting a public affairs firm, Denise has worked at the highest levels of federal government and remains heavily engaged in campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels. She's a regular contributor to Lifeway Women and Propel Women, and serves on the board of the Rock Church in San Diego, California. Follow Denise at denisegracegitsham.com or @DeniseGraceGitsham on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
