OUR HOPE REMAINS IN JESUS: How to Keep Focused on God and Ease Anxiety During the Election
The election is one day away and I don’t know about you, but my heart quickens when I think about it. I think about the long lines, the responsibility, the weight of my decisions. This year is unique because I think of my friends and family who would be mad about my choice if we discussed it. Would they still talk to me? Would they lose respect to me? Would they be willing to listen to me explain my choice? There is a great divide in our nation (and our world) and it feels deeper and wider than ever before. It is a chasm that I fear will never close and that makes me nervous and sad.
I spoke to a few friends about this and my very wise friend Teea said:
“It is important to remember who is in charge and who we serve. No matter what happens God is still King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present. As Christians it is important we vote, but ultimately it shouldn’t change our hearts when the results come in. We shouldn’t have more peace or more worry dependent on who wins. Our hope is in Jesus and Jesus alone.”
Amen, you guys! With that in mind here are some things that I am doing to cling to God, combat my fears and anxiety, and protect and inform my family over the next few days:
Stay in the Word
God’s Word is truth and it is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His promises that He made years and years and years ago are still true today. We cannot forget that. Here are four scriptures that I am meditating on:
For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
-Psalm 47:8-9
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
-Daniel 2:20-21
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
-Titus 3:1-2
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
-Luke 10:27
Print out these pocket prayers and keep them with you to read and re-read. Maybe they can even be a conversation starter at the polls!
Blast the Worship Music
I love having worship music on all the time at my house. It’s the easiest way to fill my house with God’s word, comfort, and truth. Here are some songs that I’ve been listening to on repeat:
I am not alone - Kari Jobe
It is well - Bethel Music
King of the World - Natalie Grant
King of Kings - Hillsong Worship
Our Hope - Chandler Moore
Promises - Maverick City Music
Peace - Bethel Music
Do it Again - Elevation Music
Great Are You, Lord - All Sons and Daughters
The Blessing - Kari Jobe
Breakthrough - Red Rocks Worship
Keep off Social Media
This is just your friendly reminder that it’s okay to stay off social media for the week (especially Instagram stories, those seem so intense right now, am I right!?). You will survive if you don’t post pictures of your kids. You will survive if you don’t see the latest posts from your favorite influencers. You may even find some freedom in it. This is the perfect time to take a break for a few days.
Decide How you Want to Talk to Your Kids
Our kids know what is going on. As much as I would love it if I could protect them from this election, the reality is that they are surrounded by it too. Political ads are everywhere, even in kid TV shows. My kids love asking about all the yard signs that we see.
In our family, we build the foundation of respectful dialogue and kindness first. We will talk policy later, because they are still learning. First and foremost, we want their foundation to be kindness, character and integrity. So, right now we don’t do a whole lot of talking specifically about actual candidates and parties.
As homeschoolers, we have used this time to learn about the government and the election process. It has been a great learning opportunity that we will continue to talk about it as the week goes on. Additionally, we will take this week as an opportunity to teach respect. No matter who wins, we will be teaching our kids to respect our leaders, pray for them, listen compassionately, and disagree kindly. We may not do any of those things perfectly, but they are values that we want to instill in our children starting now.
What are values that you want to instill and how can you work on that now? Don’t be afraid to have those conversations in your home.