by: Jason Williams
This Tuesday is a big day for me. It is the day of our statewide elections. Several of my closest friends will go through a painstaking process where they learn if they were voted into office or not. For me, election night is HUGE! It is huge because election night is HUGE for my friends. When they win, I feel like I win, when they lose, I feel like I lose. I feel for them, and the weight they will be carrying Tuesday. In fact, I have already been praying for them, that God will give them peace, wisdom, and strength next Tuesday night. This night will determine the rest of their lives and shape the future of Ohio, and thus America, and thus the World.
But what about you? Maybe you don’t know someone who is running for office. Maybe you are thinking, does the local election really matter? I mean it’s not a presidential election, right? Besides, you have barely even heard about the local elections because of all this talk about Ebola and workplace violence. So, if it doesn’t matter to the major networks, and it doesn’t really matter as much as picking a president, then why should it matter to you, right?
What if I told you local leadership mattered to God?
In fact, God gave us a blueprint for local leadership in Exodus 18
“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.” (Exodus 18:13-18)
Moses was trying to run his followers from a single seat and God, through Jethro, instructed him that this was not the proper way to lead. Instead, he gave Moses a set of guidelines that involved breaking the people into small groups and letting leaders emerge from these groups to rule those they knew.
Read the rest of the chapter to see how this went
This marked one of the major changes for the children of Israel and shaped their culture, and thus, the culture of a nation built on the Judeo-Christian model. The impact of this one move has been felt for centuries, and today we enjoy the freedom from this decision.
So, while it may not seem like a huge deal to those around us, we as Christians must act on the things that matter to God and go out and vote our faith, both in the local and the national elections.
Jason Williams
Assistant Pastor
High Street Baptist Church
Columbus, OH
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