How are you feeling after our presidential election?

I gave up chasing the pollster’s predictions three weeks before the election day drama. How often did we hear, “It’s too close to call?” Apparently, it wasn’t. It seemed those who were counting were not asking the right people and were unaware of their own biases. But this blog is not about who won. It’s about you and me. It’s about how we feel about the election’s outcome. And it’s about what to do with those feelings.

Some folks despair over their preferred candidate’s loss or the winner’s disturbing character and the coming demise of democracy. Others are elated that “America now has a chance to be great again, demonstrated by a healthy democracy.”

It is important for you to know that I did vote. And I did not place my choice in either candidate. For the first time in my life, I read the platforms of both parties. And I chose to place my vote on the platform that most aligned with my convictions for what would make a stronger foundation for a healthy society.  I do not feel good or bad about the election results. That’s not exactly right. It is probably more accurate to say I feel good and bad about the results.

I did consider the options before the Lord, but I have little confidence that He “inspired” my conclusion, per se. Time will tell if, and only if, I am faithful in filtering future events through His teachings. Over my lifetime, I have been close to being right a few times, but there was only “some” rightness in the choices I made.

That brings me back to the question that titles this blog post: “How are you feeling after our presidential election?” Go beyond your first reaction of “The best person won!” or “The best lost.”

Some may initially say, “Look at what God did in delivering our nation back to greatness.” Others may be initially saying, “How could God let this jerk win the election?”

The truth is it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. That is the wrong question. The real question should be, “Father, what are you teaching me by my emotions?”

Emotions tell us what is important in our lives, but they do not tell us if what initiates our emotions is good or bad. We could be overjoyed at something that God disdains, or we could be dismayed by something God has meant for our good.

The best response is to say something like, “Father, this is what I am feeling. Teach me what all this means.” Then, begin to watch how He leads you to evaluate your currently accepted premises and preferences of right and wrong, true and false, and good and evil.

Just because your vote is tallied in the winning column does not mean your life will improve. Just because your vote was tallied in the losing collum does not mean your life will be worse. It just means your life will be different. The quality of life for a follower of Jesus Christ should stand alone on the truths of the Kingdom He is bringing about in and through our lives.

I cannot say that God loves America, but I can say with Biblical authority that God loves Americans. I do not believe that God has a plan for America, but I do believe God has a plan for each American.

The Constitution does not guarantee my freedom; the Word of God does. None of us have the freedom to do what we want, but each of us has the freedom to become what our Creator wants us to become: accurate “images” of His righteousness.

I love our nation, but I am not confident in our system of government. Every form of government in history has failed at some point, and I do not anticipate ours being any different. Only one sure foundation will withstand the storms caused by fallen humanity.

Do not fall for the emotional moans of impending doom or the ecstasies of coming prosperity. Dig deeper into the shelter of our loving Father. What you feel is only an invitation to a deeper relationship with God through Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit.

I leave you with Hebrews 12:1-3 to think about. It is from the Amplified Version.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

3 Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Photo – Taken this Fall at an overlook on Little Shepherd Trail in Kingdom Come State Park near Cumberland, Kentucky.