Yesterday, I left work early to finish painting our garage. This garage project has been ongoing for more than a month now, and I was getting tired of parking both cars outside. :) We cleaned out the garage, filled in all the holes in the dry wall, sanded it, cleaned it, primed it, and finally, it is now painted. The next steps will be sealing the floor, and the most fun part -- organizing! -- putting up shelves, racks, hooks, pegboards, etc.

Anyway, so the entire time I was working on the garage, I could not stop thinking about politics! (This is very unusual, for me.) This is the first year that I've actually cared about the upcoming election, and I've been really trying to follow all the news. I've watched all the presidential debates, the VP debates, the civil forum, (and SNL sketches, but that doesn't count :P) I read up on news every day, and I've done my research. But up until yesterday, I was still conflicted about who to vote for.

Liz's dialogue with a conservative Christian really made me think. They're both Christians, both trying to vote in accordance with the Bible, both trying to honor God -- and yet they came to opposite conclusions. It's surprising how two people who worship the same God and live by the same Book can have such conflicting political viewpoints. Is there a right and a wrong answer? I struggled with this because if there is, that would mean that supporters of the losing candidate were all wrong.

Scripture says:

It is [God] who changes the times and the epochs;
He removes kings and establishes kings;
He gives wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to men of understanding.

-Daniel 2:21

So we know that God is in control over this election, and it will have been God's will for the winning candidate to be President. But then what about all the people who voted for the other guy? Was it wrong to vote for him?

Then I remembered a passage in 1 Corinthians:

If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake — the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

-1 Corinthians 10:27-31

I came to the realization that there is no "right" candidate for Christians to vote for. Whether you're voting for Obama or McCain, it's really between you and God. God wants us to do everything for the glory of God and for the good of others. If the Holy Spirit leads you to vote for McCain and you can do that with a clear conscience, and you truly believe that this is what God wants you to do, then you should obey God and do it. If the Spirit is tugging at your heart that Obama will be the better leader for the good of the people, and you genuinely believe that this is God's will, then do it! Neither decision is wrong. Jesus is not about legalism and rules -- it's the heart that matters! It's a theme that's seen throughout the Gospels... that God cares more about the motives and the heart attitude than anything else. I believe that as long as we are trying to honor God and abide by his Word, God will be pleased.