A Recipe to See Yourself Clear in Today's Political Landscape

Every day we get political posts and memes fighting for our political loyalties. Many claiming some inside source or expert. With so many different claims to truth, who can you trust? How do you see yourself clear in all the confusion?

The best descriptions for today’s political media world is “worthless, foolish talk” and “foolish and ignorant arguments”.  These descriptions come from the Apostle Paul (see 2 Tim 2:16, 23).  

Paul tells us to AVOID worthless, foolish talk and REFUSE foolish and ignorant arguments.  He says worldly and empty chatter leads to UNGODLINESS and foolish and ignorant speculations lead to QUARRELS.  That about sums up the current political landscape, don’t you think?  

With current technology and social media, we are constantly inundated constantly with politically driven news, posts, and memes. How do you see yourself clear in all the confusion?

First, purposefully avoid politically driven news that comes to you. Avoid clickbait news with sensational taglines. You didn't ask for it, so pass it over. Discipline yourself to ignore it. If you are serious about being informed, the Facebook news media is the last place to go. I have three or four news sources I go to for information. Some are conservative and a couple are liberal. A truly informed person needs to see both sides of the issue. You have to be intentional and it takes time and effort. Stop being lazy in how you chose to be informed.

Second, snooze or remove Facebook/Twitter friends that are constantly forwarding and posting the latest political gossip they come across.  Most of the political posts and memes people spread is gossip and slander. Proverbs 10:18 says, "slandering others makes you a fool." Don't be a fool on social media.

Third, refuse to participate in the foolish and ignorant speculations.  Refuse to get swept up in it.  Remember, it leads to quarrels.  So many well-intended Christians are arguing and fighting among themselves over political ideologies based on hearsay and biased news sources. And let's be realistic, when's the last time you changed anyone's mind through social media? It's nothing but shadowboxing.

Finally, remind yourself often that you are to be Kingdom-minded not empire-minded.  I’m a citizen of Heaven before I’m an American citizen. Stay focused on what really matters to God: your role as a child of God, father/mother, husband/wife, provider, etc...  The devil wants nothing more than to get Christians swept up in affairs of this world and neglect what they’ve really been put here to be and do.  

In 1 Thess 4:11 Paul also instructs us to, “make it your ambition to LEAD a quiet life and ATTEND to your own business”. 

So when you 

AVOID worthless, foolish talk,

REFUSE foolish and ignorant arguments, 

LEAD a quiet life, and 

ATTEND to your own business, 

then you are not swallowed up in the lies, deceptions, and confusion, nor guilty of spreading it. 

When you follow the recipe Paul teaches it keeps your mind clear and focused on what God wants.  And at the end of the day, it’s not government and politics that’s going to save America, it’s Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  It’s far less important to know who to vote for than know God’s will for your life and what He’s doing in you and through you.  It’s not the voting booth but in the prayer closet that God is going to be glorified and His Kingdom advanced, "on earth as it is in Heaven."