I’m not beholden to the Donkey Party or the Elephant Party. I do choose to express and stand for my biblical convictions as a follower of the government of the Lamb and the Lion.

I also understand the importance of elections, especially in the spiritual and political climate we find ourselves in today.

So, I vote not only because it’s my civic duty, but because it gives me the opportunity to express my moral responsibility to stand in the gap for our communities, nation, and generation. I encourage every voter to look beyond personalities, examine party platforms and the policies candidates support, and prayerfully consider how those align with their convictions. I choose to vote according to my Biblical convictions.

As followers of Christ, it is imperative that we surrender our personal preferences and ideologies for the ideologies of God’s Kingdom. That includes how we approach the privilege and responsibility of voting.

I have a personal conviction to seek the Lord and to respond by principle rather than by preference. Our decisions must reach beyond whether we like a candidate’s personality. We need to consider what candidates stand for, the policies they support, and the party platforms they are committed to advancing. We must examine these things through the truth of Scripture.

Personalities can attract us or offend us. But choices always have consequences, regardless of how much we may try to excuse or justify them. The question is whether we will allow biblical convictions to guide our choices.

Respond by Principle Rather Than Preference

As an American of Asian descent, I’m extremely grateful for all the sacrifices made for my rights and for all the constitutional rights that have been afforded me.

Our constitutional republic will only survive if we hold on to the core values of our constitutional rights and freedoms. These rights are not just for those we align ourselves with, but also for those with whom we may strongly disagree.

With these freedoms comes responsibility. Voting gives us an opportunity to express our convictions and to stand in the gap for our communities, nation, and generation.

We should approach that responsibility prayerfully and thoughtfully.

There are spiritual laws, natural laws, moral laws, and civil laws. Without these laws, especially spiritual and moral laws, we open the door to lawlessness and anarchy. Public opinion may change, but we must continue to seek what pleases the Lord and understand what breaks His heart.

Courageous leadership does not acquiesce to public opinion or what is popular at the time for personal benefit or gain. It does, with sensitivity and compassion, adhere to a love for truth and personal convictions. We need that same courage as we consider the choices before us.

Let Scripture Shape Our Standards

A look at Isaiah chapter 1 gives us a glimpse of what matters to God.

In Isaiah 1:11–20, the Lord confronts His people about their sacrifices, gatherings, and numerous prayers. Their religious activity could not cover their sinful conduct. Their hands were full of blood, and He called them to wash and make themselves clean.

His instruction was clear: Cease to do evil. Learn to do right. Seek justice. Correct oppression. Take up the cause of the orphan. Defend the widow.

These words should cause each of us to search our own heart. They should also inform the standards by which we evaluate those who seek to lead us.

Personally, I value what I believe are biblical principles of life, the sacredness of marriage, individual responsibility, societal order, and the protection of our liberties and freedoms. I also believe Scripture calls us to promote justice, care for the oppressed, and defend the orphan and the widow. These convictions belong together in our obedience to God.

Scripture teaches that each of us is accountable for our choices and actions (Galatians 6:5, 7). It also teaches that governing authorities have a responsibility to uphold justice, restrain wrongdoing, and preserve order (Romans 13:1–4).

As we consider candidates and policies, we should ask whether they encourage personal responsibility and uphold a just and orderly society while protecting the vulnerable.

Deuteronomy 30:19 records the Lord’s call to His people:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”

I believe we must value life in the womb and continue to value life when others may deem it less worthy, including those with physical or mental limitations and those who have entered their golden years.

As we consider candidates and party platforms, we need to look beyond slogans and personalities. What policies are they proposing? What principles will those policies uphold? How do those positions align with what God’s Word teaches us to value and protect?

We must seek the Lord and be willing to let His truth challenge our preferences.

Keep Our Eyes on the Lord

Even as we engage in the election process, Christians must keep our eyes on the Lord and our hearts and minds guarded, lest we become disillusioned or even bitter.

Otherwise, we can become distracted from God’s destination for us and miss opportunities to reflect His Kingdom in a world of divisiveness, fear, lawlessness, and confusion.

The Kingdom of God is built on relationships, first with God, then with one another. May we be reminded to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, and to reflect Christlikeness toward others who may not agree with us.

Regardless of the differences in political points of view many of us may have, may the Church find unity in our diversity so we can be a plumb line of healing and hope within a culture of so much division.

That begins with allowing the Lord to search us. I believe He is shining the light of the Holy Spirit first upon us and His Church, searching out the dross and rubbish in our lives to purge and refine us.

We must be willing to recognize compromise and complacency in our own hearts as we call for righteousness in our nation.

It is time for a soul-searching and corporate heart awakening for revival in the nation. Better to have a heart awakening than a rude awakening.

Be Fully Engaged

We cannot be discouraged by what we see around us, retreating into our holy huddles and disengaging from a world that so desperately needs to see our light.

We must be fully prepared – mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We must be fully engaged, with our eyes fixed ahead and our hand to the plow, ready to work in the harvest fields. That includes speaking His Word, sharing His love, serving our neighbors, and exercising our responsibility to vote.

Our personal preferences will always divide us. We are far more united when we come to the centrality of the Cross and recognize that all kingdoms, principalities, and rulerships are subject to the preeminence of Christ Jesus.

Before we enter the voting booth, let us seek His presence, examine His Word, and consider the candidates, policies, and party platforms in light of biblical truth.

I’m not beholden to the political party of the elephant or the donkey. I am submitted to the government of the Lamb and the Lion.

Get out and vote!