Decision 2008

Now that the election is over, I have a grumble I want to bring up: voting a "straight ticket".... You know, filling in the circle for your presidential choice and one other box, the one for your party. All the other circles are automatically filled in for you. I have heard of this practice before. I have seen it demonstrated to the people in line to vote in the form of a "sample" ballot. And, this year, I even heard a woman behind me in line telling her daughter how to vote. "You check the box next to your choice for president and then you check the box next to the ______ party. Then hand it in."

I have a problem with straight party voting. I also have a problem with someone telling another person, especially their adult child, how they are "expected" to vote. We all have a choice to vote and how to do it. It's a personal decision (one I haven't even shared with my husband). In my opinion, voting a straight ticket is like saying only the presidential vote matters or that you only care about "your party". But there may be people within the party you may never agree with in a hundred years. It's like "un-informed voting". You know nothing about them except they are in "the party" you think you support.

There are many people out there who do this with their faith, too. There are many people out there (I used to do this, too) who claim to be a Christian and say, "I vote my morals" or "I have my morals" but they really are uninformed or misinformed about the true nature of Christ and you surely can't see much of God in them. They aren't really sure what the party stands for at all, they just think they do or want others to think they do. If they don't know the foundation of their faith/"morals", then how can they be sure they truly could stand behind their faith when it really counts? If you have only been a "Christian" because your mama and daddy and granddaddy and great-granddaddy were, then you are missing out and mis-informed.

There are some very important foundational issues you really should learn about and make sure you agree with them. There is one great thing about voting on the Christian Ticket. You can get real answers from the candidate himself...personally. He'll come to you wherever you are because you are that important to him. See Jeremiah 33:3--"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things which you do not know". These are answers that have stood the test of time. The answers never change from one situation to the next. It is an everlasting truth and you can find it for yourself in almost every library or bookstore or hotel room. If you want to know more about Christ or the character of God... a person you can truly put your confidence in to run your everyday life, then open a Bible and take it in. If you want to boost your knowledge base, pray for him to reveal himself to you. Pray for those around you. Pray for your nation. Do his works/service in your community. He can use his Word, other people and circumstances to reveal himself. You can get a new dose of him everyday.... new encouragement, life lessons, strength, comfort, new insights, compassion, grace, forgiveness, restoration, rest.. and the list goes on and on and on. Either way, this could be your Decision 2008 that makes biggest headline in your personal history, and you don't have to be 18 to be eligible to vote.

So, there's my election soap box. Hope it isn't too offensive. I would love to hear your comments/thoughts. I would love to discuss foundations or help answer questions if you are reading this blog and don't know where to start.