Cast Your Vote (and Cares) on Him
The results are in and fear is a losing ticket
Can we talk about something that's been on my heart lately? It's about this interesting challenge we face as Christians – trying to balance our faith with those very human feelings of fear and uncertainty.
You know how it goes, right? We say we trust God's plan, but then life throws us curveballs. Maybe things are changing faster than we can handle, or maybe they're not changing at all when we desperately want them to. Our hearts start racing, our minds start spinning, and suddenly we're caught in this whirlwind of "what-ifs."
The tricky part is that these fears don't just stay inside us – they have a way of seeping into everything we do. Have you noticed how anxiety (sometimes even showing up through our combativeness) can make us push people away? Or how our worries can actually cloud the beautiful qualities we're meant to show as Christians? Instead of radiating love, joy, gentleness, and peace, we might find ourselves spreading our own anxieties to others.
Scripture speaks to this so beautifully. I love that verse in Isaiah 41:10 where God says, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." And remember how Jesus talks about worry in Matthew 6? He reminds us that we're incredibly precious to God – more than we often realize.
But let's be real – knowing these truths doesn't automatically make our fears vanish, does it? It takes conscious effort to keep bringing our worries back to God, trusting that He can handle whatever we're facing.
Take today's election in the U.S., for instance. It's natural to feel concerned about what might change – or what might not change. But here's the amazing thing:
Our hope isn't tied to election results.
No matter who's in office, God's still sovereign. His love for us hasn't changed one bit.
So what if we tried something different? What if we showed the world what it looks like to truly trust God in uncertain times? Instead of adding to the worry around us, we could be voices of peace. Rather than judgment, we could offer grace. Our trust in God could be like a beacon of hope for others who are looking for something stable to hold onto.
1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.” Casting all your cares on Him doesn’t mean “tell God what’s worrying you,” though you can certainly do that. “Casting all your cares on him” literally means this:
Leave all the outcomes of your worries to God!
When we don’t cast our votes that Jesus is Lord of this election, or this test result, or this job interview, we’re not really casting ALL our cares on Him. We’re either sitting on the couch of fear refusing to vote or crossing party lines to vote for a leader of our lives that promises to give us everything we want (and our worlds turn upside down when they lose the election or they fail to keep their promises.) And history shows that the results are in: God always wins and fear is always a losing candidate. So stop supporting the losing side. Don’t waste your vote and your life; cast all your cares on the One that truly cares for you!
Yes, fear is part of being human – but so is our ability to choose faith. What do you say we make that choice together? Let's show others that our confidence comes from something bigger than earthly powers – it comes from knowing and voting for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Thank you, Pastor Michael. This morning, a Catholic friend called up. They are totally in a tizzy about the outcome of the election. This friend was pretty much told in essence. Everything that you just wrote this article about. Nothing to worry about. Worry changes nothing. Leave the results in God’s hands. We have peace within whatever result is part of his plan.