Truth with Consequences

A few weeks ago I had the unfortunate opportunity to spend the night in a swing state. If what I saw and heard on television that night is indicative of the over two billion dollars this presidential election has cost, one can only wonder about tomorrow and the days that follow. Jesus might have been thinking about our times when He said, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

If you listen to the conversation among those engaged in the politics of this season, the common thread you hear is something like “If my candidate doesn’t win, America is doomed.”  It’s amazing that diehards on both sides can say pretty much the same thing with such conviction. The fact that the polls at the moment seem pretty evenly split makes that kind of passion even more interesting. Apparently, after the election, regardless of how it turns out, half of the voting population of the United States will believe that our nation is doomed!

To borrow a phrase from the current political debate in the area of foreign policy, as a follower of Jesus, it isn’t so much about nation building as it is kingdom building. The kingdom we are called to build will still be here after the election, and in that kingdom, Jesus is never on the ballot – He is King!

We aren’t, of course, the first generation of believers to struggle with frustration over kingdoms, powers, governments, and the like. More than a few of the epistles of the New Testament seem to acknowledge that reality, and none better than the opening sentence of Hebrews 12.

Therefore,

since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off

everything that hinders

and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run

with perseverance

the race marked out for us.

The writer of this great epistle goes on to remind us that we do that only by fixing our eyes on Jesus – who suffered greatly, including death on a cross, endured and now sits at the right hand of God. The polling data from “the great cloud of witnesses” is unanimous – no matter what, sticking with Jesus is always worth the cost. The encouragement from the great cloud of witnesses is clear: persevere. The advice is direct and to the point: get rid of the “stuff” that weighs you down. Some of that “stuff” in our day and time is, without doubt, the fretting we do (“Take no thought for tomorrow,” Matthew 6:34)   over who is going to win or lose some election.

The text in Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us of “truth with consequences.”  Those kinds of consequences are eternal in nature and place all the other “stuff” somewhere in a place of less significance.

By the way, in case you’re wondering, I voted early and hope the person I voted for wins. But if that person doesn’t win, Jesus is still Lord and I am still His.  Talk about consequences!