An Independent Hope
January 19, 2021 | Megan Schemenauer
As a public school English teacher, politics is a topic I usually stay away from, both in and out of the classroom. Red vs. blue. Republican vs. Democrat. Trump vs. Biden. It has always seemed so incredibly divisive to me.
Despite my aversion, with the recent election and upcoming inauguration, even through my Bible time in Romans, God has been trying to share a message about recent politics and my role as a Christian within it.
He first spoke from the pages of Romans 9. According to verse 17, “Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Nothing happens outside of God’s plan. Regardless of our personal feelings or political opinions, God puts people into power according to His will. I don’t have to like it; I don’t have to understand it; but I do have to accept it. I’m sure there were plenty of enslaved Israelites in Egypt who questioned God’s choice of Pharaoh! And yet, why was he chosen? To display God’s power and proclaim His name in all the earth.
It reminds me of the story of Esther. Even after being chosen as the new queen for King Xerxes, I’m sure she had questions and doubts about her new role. Why me, a Jew? But as her story played out, Esther played a crucial part in a plan of salvation for her people. As her cousin Mordecai told her, “Who knows not that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
So what is my role as a Christian when it comes to politics? Again, Romans 13:1-2 continues to teach me on this topic. It advises me to “be subject to the governing authorities.” Why? “For there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Wow. Talk about a bitter pill for anyone who didn’t see their choice of candidate win the election! But it’s right there in black and white in the pages of the Bible. Even if the president-elect is not the person I voted for, he is still my president. Why? Because he was allowed to come into his position by God’s design.
Romans 13:2 extends one final thought, almost as a warning: “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
Fortunately, we as Christians can continue to find hope regardless of politics, no matter the political climate, no matter the present incumbent. Why? Psalm 39:7 is a simple reminder: “My hope is in You.” Not in a person. Not in an election. Not in a country. But in a God who reigns over all these things, in our God who never changes, “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Red or blue. Republican or Democrat. Our hope in Christ is independent of any politics.