Instead we should say, "If God wills"

    A friend posted today on social media, “Don’t lose friends over this election.” 

    That gave me pause. 

    Some people are very invested in the state of civic affairs. I used to be one of them. 

    I still have strong views, and when I choose to “take the bait” I’m still very passionate about those views. 

    I can’t ask others to feel less about politics than they do; I cannot ask people to change their principles, values, and beliefs. I can talk, I can argue, and sometimes I might persuade someone to my views. Sometimes I might be convinced of someone else's views. But I realized several elections cycles ago that social media was not my preferred place to have such discussions. 

    As expressed in my friend's post, I don’t want to lose friends or strain relationships with loved ones because of differences in politics and worldview. Or because of the outcome of an election. I think often, at times of great societal divide, of Psalm 2, in which the Psalmist describes the kings and rulers of the world making their plans and having their counsels together against the Lord and His Anointed. He continues with, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” 

    Why does He laugh? In the Psalm, the context is specific to God's eternal kingdom. There's  nothing the rulers of this age can do to undo what Christ has done for us. Apparently, to God, that notions is laughable.

    But we know from other places in Scripture that God does also take an active roll in the regular, everyday lives of the people on earth. (Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 10:23). 

    Pondering the idea of God's providence, of His control over earthly things, and His blessing of the same, I'm reminded of James 4. James starts the chapter talking about disagreements among the readers, and asking where these come from. He then answers with a list of selfish desires. James explains that they don't have these desires because they don't ask. But also that when they do ask, they ask amiss, wanting these things for selfish or evil purposes. 

    This brings me full circle now to my initial reaction to my friend’s post about losing friends. Each time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But consider this, do we trust that will? Do we really, truly trust that God is in control of our days, our stories, even our communities and nations? With regard to tomorrow's election, God knows where He wants our nation to go. For His eternal plan, according to His eternal wisdom, for the good of His eternal Kingdom, He will work His will. 

    We are merely players. Or getting back to James 4, we are merely vapors, here for a time only to vanish.

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” ~ James 4:13-15

So, let's not lose friends over this election. God's will be done.