With the presidential campaigns in full swing we are beginning to see more and more press coverage on who is doing what and what the polls are saying. Each candidate is expressing their views and how they differ from each other. Many express the role of faith in their life and how it affects their decisions.

The presidential race becomes part of our conversations at home and the office. People begin to take sides and show support for their presidential hopefuls with yard signs and stickers. Everyone begins to brag about his or her favorite candidate and bash all the others. Many have spent time collecting signatures, writing blogs, wearing t-shirts, recording Youtube videos, and building websites for their favorite candidates, all with great enthusiasm and passion.

It bothers me when the Christian community goes crazy for their favorite candidates, yet don’t put half the time or money in spreading the gospel. At times, Christians show more concern for saving the country than saving souls. Everyone is an evangelist in their own right because we all have a cause or causes we believe in and love and are passionate about. We share these causes with others and that cause may have nothing to do with Jesus Christ.

It is pretty obvious that America is in serious decay. We have many ideas about how to fix what is broken, but what we need is not a behavior modification, but a heart change. We must put our passions in check; if we get more worked up over the presidential race or some other cause, anything other than the gospel, we have a problem. If the first thing that comes out of my mouth in a conversation is about tax reform and the war in Iraq, I have a problem. How easily we are distracted by things that have zero eternal value.

Everyone seems to have a cause they believe in and spends time and resources fighting to get their message across to the rest of the world. Your cause may be your allegiance to your favorite sports team, saving the whales, ratings on video games, gun control, abortion, government spending, or defending the Constitution. Whatever the cause is, make sure, as a Christian that your priorities are in order. Preaching the gospel should be number one and all other passions in your life should take a seat behind what is most important. Your voice on all other issues will never match the intensity and passion you have for sharing the gospel.

It is easy to lose focus. Thus, there is a great need for reminding us of how temporal our stay on Earth is. Remember, no one leaves this place alive. Ten out of ten people die; these are just the facts. The Bible says life is a mere vapor on the timeline of eternity. That’s the reality. As Christians we have a higher calling of service than to preach the gospel of our favorite candidate. We are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If you are born again you can clearly see the importance of spreading the good news message, the one you put your trust in. We must understand that as Christians we know what is going to happen in the end. There is a judgment to come. If we shy away from that message we become as bad as the majority of our presidential candidates flip flopping just to get votes, changing our tunes to fit into the majority. Why are we shy of proclaiming the message? Afraid you may offend someone? Afraid someone may oppose your view? Those are really not your concerns. You are not called to get votes or to win a popularity contest.

If we value what Christ did on the cross two thousand years ago, if we truly believe that Christ died for the sins of the world, if we truly believe that those who believe that believers who repent go to heaven and those who don’t go to hell, why would we waste time talking about anything else? Evangelism is not something you do to check off the list. Evangelism is all you do. When  Jesus saves your life it becomes a story you cannot stop telling. If we don’t tell that story, then we are not believers. Many are telling their testimonies from a third person perspective. They have heard the gospel but are not born again. Your testimony is a powerful tool in evangelism. 

Before you sign up for a campaign because you think you will change this country, think again.  Change will only come from a revival that always starts with repentance. It is our sin that is crushing our country today. 

No matter who you vote for, you should prayerfully cast a vote for president, but don’t defend their position with more passion than sharing the grace that you have been covered in with Christ.

We need a grassroots movement of Christians that preach the gospel to this dying world. We need a reformation of pastors that care more about preaching repentance instead of being an activist for things of no eternal value. Man’s greatest need is to understand his sickness. The truth we are called to proclaim is the remedy for that sickness. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ, not in our next president. 

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.    NASB Romans 8:5-6

By Ray Baumann Email: Ray.baumann@mac.com Click here for bio and archived articles