If Trump Wins, If Harris Wins

3 Christian Responses

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Well, it’s election week. At some point, they’ll get the votes counted (hopefully soon, and without the need of judicial interference) and we’ll know who’s taking over the Oval Office.

In one sense, it’ll be nice to finally move on from the ever-present campaign content and the discussions surrounding it all. Though I (obviously) have felt it important to discuss as there is just so much blind guidance on political matters in Christian circles, I, too, am ready to talk about something else.

In another sense, though, we won’t be moving on, we’ll just be moving into the realities brought about as a result of the campaign season.

So, I want to talk about the Christian outlook in each possible outcome, and how we should respond to whatever happens.

If Harris should win…

There is no way to sugarcoat it: a Harris win would mean we are fully under God’s judgment. We’ve checked off every other box in Isaiah 3 except for the “ruled by women and children” in 3:12, so it logically follows that we’d go there next.

The policy positions point to countless deaths via expanded abortion policies and unnecessary wars, and plenty of lives ruined through the growing trans agenda. It will also grow more and more difficult for the average family to make ends meet.

For that reason, I also suspect mission works, charities, and other ministries will lose a good deal of funding. The last 4 years have been incredibly tough for these works, and it would only get harder from here.

We are not a righteous nation, and the kind of rule Harris would bring is exactly what wicked nations tend to get.

If Trump should win…

I will consider it a temporary stay of God’s judgment, a period of grace that gives us a chance to repent before the consequences are brought down upon us.

With a 4 year track record to draw on, we know we can expect a strong economy, which allows us to do more to provide for our families, care for others, and fund more Christian efforts. We can also expect more peace around the world and a safer border. RFK Jr.’s health agenda would also be an incredibly positive step for the American people. Hopefully, we could also continue to expect more pro-life judges in the courts to ease the passage of anti-abortion laws.

It is not all sunshine and roses on the Trump platform, to be sure. His abortion and IVF stances should receive significant pushback. And, some of the inflationary mess we’re in goes back to Covid-era spending he approved. But on the whole, when it comes to leading quiet lives with all Godliness and dignity, it is much easier when our families are safer and without need.

However, if we’re being honest with ourselves, we know America doesn’t deserve any of these good things.

We are a wicked people, and a wicked people can only avoid God’s wrath for so long. The 2022 elections showed just how much our nation loves killing its own children. We also see that, other than the GOP pushback on certain trans efforts, there is no real opposition to the LGBT movement.

Our criminal justice system grows more perverted all the time as major cities reward crime and punish good citizens. And not only have we promoted evil things, we’ve used our influence to export those evils all over the world. As a nation, we have forgotten the fear of God.

So, while I’m hoping for a stay of God’s justice, I can’t say I’m sure it will happen. But regardless of who wins, there are certain actions every Christian needs to take.

Pray

Pray for all in authority, as the Scriptures command (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Pray that they would bow the knee before Christ, lest they bring His wrath upon themselves (Psalm 2:12). Pray that their policies would please Him, and if not, that they would be stopped.

But also, pray for the American people. Whether we are under judgment or given a time of grace, pray that the outcome would draw people nearer to God and that our nation would wake up like Nineveh and realize just how much we have to repent for.

Repent

If we don’t repent, sooner or later, the judgment is coming. We should repent on an individual level, if there is any sin we’ve held onto. We should repent for our homes, and any way our families have not been pleasing to God. We should repent in our churches, particularly where the full counsel has not been preached, discipline has not been practiced, and itching ears have been satisfied.

Finally, we should repent for our nation. Like Daniel repenting for Israel’s sins that he played no part in committing, we should repent for our fellow countrymen and plead that their hearts would be soft to return to God.

Rejoice and give thanks

With so much hanging in the balance with this election, it’s natural to be anxious. Philippians 4 gives us the antidote to our anxiety: rejoice in the Lord always (4:4) and bring your requests to God with thanksgiving (4:6).

No matter what happens, we can rejoice that God will be glorified. Like Paul giving thanks from a prison cell that the Gospel was being spread, so we must train ourselves to do the same. If we find our grocery bill lightening up and our cities getting safer, we should give thanks for His grace toward us. If we continue to see more hardship all the time, we should give thanks for God’s judgment, as it might bring many to Him.

I want the outcome that seems best to me, but ultimately I want the outcome that God wants. Like Jesus in the Garden, we are not wrong to hope to avoid suffering, but if it comes, we must say “Thy will be done.”

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Notes

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