It’s Time to Vote, Make Sure You’ve VOTED, But Also Vote the Big Picture

It’s Time to Vote, Make Sure You’ve VOTED, But Also Vote the Big Picture

It is that time to vote again, so plan to vote, go vote and whatever you do vote!

What happens when you vote? Voting is an independent act by individuals. It is a personal commitment to grant temporary permission to the elected to act on the voters behalf. The commitment is not a forfeiture of the voters’ rights to self-determination or self-interest. Those who make such commitment in concert or in tandem desire or hope that the elected that is selected will represent their interests and make decisions and choices that will reflect the voters. Hence, the result of these individual casting of rights is the collective nod by any group of people, neighbors, fellow worker or organizations to empower one of their own to lead them.

The inherent danger here is a high-risk propensity of the voters to see themselves as inferior to the one just elected from amongst themselves. This is real. And equally true is an even higher risk temptation for the elected not to breach the faith and trust granted to him/herself by the voters in thinking themselves higher than they that elected them. Unless the motive of the elected has all along been a mendacious plot.Hence, as we go through this time of committing this sacred trust when we empower another person to decide for us, let us think not of those who for the longest time have used division to separate us so we can’t talk to each other. Let us be mindful of the men and women whose trajectory to power seem to be to sow seeds of contention amongst families, friends and neighbors in the hope to win, gain power and hold on to it. Don’t buy into the stuff that divide or separated you from your family and friends, for oneness is far better than being apart, “1 … Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalms 133:1, KJV)

My note of caution is this, that scoundrel son of a gun of a neighbor across the street from you is not the enemy. The family member who seems to think or prefer a different candidate to yours is not the enemy. That friend or coworker whom you have come to detest due to his unabashed professing of the most ignorance or most infuriating thing you ever heard is still not the enemy. Those interested in dividing us do not have our interests and strengths at heart, for apart we are unitary entities easy to conquer, but united and together we exude strength and beauty. God wants us together, the enemy doesn’t.

If anything, anything at all let us uphold this perspective in what the apostle Paul admonished, “5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5 KJV). And what was that mind of Christ, in Philippians 2? Here, the apostle desired for us to live up to the humbled spirit of Christ. But here is another thing that was in the mind of Christ, “16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16 – 18, ESV)

Take a pause. Reflect on the inclines and affinities of Christ which is that God loves his creation. God sent his Son not to condemn the world, but to save the world …” God is still in the business of seeking and saving the lost world. God is still in the business of soul saving. God is still in the business of rescuing. And, until we get a different memo that God has changed plans into recovering bodies he couldn’t save, John 3:16 – 18 is still the disposition of the deity and that’s where the minds of believers in Christ need to dwell.

Furthermore, the bigger picture as we physically trust our hope for a better future in anticipation of a better life for ourselves, the next generation and beyond into the hands of our fellow men, the following statement, the testimony of John the Baptist about the Christ ought to grab our attention: ““… 30He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.” (John 3:30 – 33, ESV)

Therefore, with our vote we certify, empower, and authorize our neighbors to speak for us and make important decisions on our behalf. With our vote, we ‘set our seal’ giving our fellow neighbors the power to rule over us. But, John the Baptist in his testimony about the Christ eluded to a different kind of setting of our seal. John said, “when we accept the testimony of the Christ, the only God who is at the side of the Father, and when we believe in the name of the Christ, the one God sent,” that acceptance is a strong affirmation on the part of the believer that God is true! In other words, when we believe God, and those he sent to us, we give our nod that God is true. And, though we have not seen God, by accepting the testimony of Jesus who has seen God, the believer by that act of faith set their seal to the truth that God is true.

This is our bigger picture vote that put us in alignment with God and his will. And when we align with God, it is impossible not to have the mind of Christ, care about the things Christ cares about, follow his teachings to do unto others as we will have them do unto us, and seek to be perfect as the Heavenly Father. We can thus see the big picture as God does, love as God does and be about God’s business. Such alignment with God will freeze the divisions and send packing those who preach division. Let us align with God for only good can come out of that, as indeed ONLY GOD IS GOOD!

In Christ Alone,

Christopher Baidoo-Essien