By way of introduction, let me say some may find what follows offensive. What I have penned here isn’t meant to be provocative for its own sake. It’s blunt, yes. But the subject matter really can’t be made “nice.” There’s a reality embedded here that needs to be stated clearly, even with the awareness, some will be put off by the straight-forward way it’s stated. This is my opinion.

Over 20 years ago, I was in a discussion with someone about an upcoming election. Then, as now, there was the feeling among many that the election was a turning point, a defining moment, when the future of our nation would be decided. That same sentiment has been expressed at every election since. It’s an appropriate sentiment, because every election IS a turning point. It’s the way the founders of our great republic designed it. It’s in our electoral process that the American people have the opportunity to install those candidates into office, whom they believe best embody their position on the important issues of the day.

Our future as a nation is determined in the voting booth. Every time we go to the polls.

In that same conversation 20 years ago, I expressed my belief that a candidate’s position on abortion was the most critical factor in determining whether or not to vote for him/her. The person I was speaking with disparaged my “single-issue” perspective. He said that abortion was just one of many important issues and that to vote for a candidate on that position alone was short-sighted. Since I’d always seen abortion as much larger than “one of many important political issues,” I was taken aback by this retort and failed to respond. Both wisdom and tact demanded that I reply in a measured and reasonable manner. And to that point, I had not formulated an eloquent response.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Lawrence White, a Lutheran minister, address this issue. He perfectly articulated why ending abortion ought to rise as the single-issue that defines what we look for in candidates who stand for election. Contrary to what a recent president said, it’s NOT “the economy, stupid.” It’s not national defense, as important as that issue is. It’s not immigration or terrorism. Neither does global climate change nor Iran provide the challenge most determinative of our future. The single issue that rises above all these is the murder of millions of innocent pre-born children. Just as Abel’s blood cried out of the ground to God, so buckets of it scream for justice from the abortion clinics across America.

A nation that slaughters its most innocent and vulnerable, its powerless and defenseless, in the name of convenience, doesn’t deserve economic prosperity or safe borders. What it deserves is the wrath of a Holy God Who has pledged Himself to the poor and weak.

I AM a single-issue voter because THIS issue – the life of the unborn, is THE watershed reality of our time.

Once I know a candidate’s position on abortion, I know their position on virtually every other issue. If they are staunchly pro-life, I know they will be politically conservative and classically faithful to the founders on the rest of the issues. If a candidate is pro-abortion, they deny the image of God in humanity and can’t be trusted to be right on ANY issue, regardless of how they campaign. How can you trust a man or woman who is for the murder of infants? Make no mistake, that is exactly what pro-abortion advocates are for. They aren’t for “choice.” They are for the murder of the innocent.

So, I am a single issue voter. I will vote for real pro-life. By real, I mean those whose pro-life position isn’t adopted just because it is part of the party platform. I mean people whose pro-life position is rooted in a consistent worldview that understands the government’s role to protect the innocent and to prosecute the guilty in accordance with what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 13.

Yes, I understand the appeal of the pragmatic view that voting for an unelectable pro-life candidate may take away a vote from another major party candidate, who as a pro-abortion candidate, would be “the lesser of two evils.” As recent elections have demonstrated, a so-called fiscal conservative-social liberal ends up being a fiscal weasel. But, of course, how can someone who is wrong on THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE of the day be right or consistent on ANYTHING ELSE?

I will not “throw my vote away” on any candidate who lacks the moral wisdom and strength to take a stand for what is patently good and right, campaign as pro-life and will use their office to bring an end to the holocaust of abortion.

Regardless of our philosophical viewpoints, I think almost everyone would agree. We live in very interesting times. We are in the midst of one of the most highly contested presidential elections we have ever seen. While some are passionately committed to a particular candidate, others have resigned themselves, determined that no possibilities give us any real hope of changing the downward direction of our nation. Added to this, we have just lost one of our Supreme Court justices, creating an even more complicated scenario for American politics. It seems our natural reaction to these things is despair. This hopelessness often produces a constant flow of complaint about the present condition and fear for what lies ahead. I am reminded of the words of Charles Spurgeon who wrote:

“Ill weeds grow swiftly. Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated.”

It is natural to complain about the economy, politics, and the moral state of our nation. But the Bible places an expectation upon the child of God.

That we would go beyond the natural and do things that will actually bring about positive change in the world we live in.

“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” Exodus 22:28

Under the Old Testament law, God made it illegal for the people to curse their rulers. This was not because the rulers would always prove to be faultless, nor did it mean that they were above the law, or that their actions could not be questioned. In fact, God always puts a higher standard on rulers than He does on the rest of the people. James even warns those who are teachers. They will be under a stricter judgment than others. This law was designed to point out the folly of complaining about those who are in charge. Instead of grousing about our leaders, the laws, or the direction the nation is heading, the Bible gives us far more productive ways to handle poor leadership and a declining culture. God instructs us to pray for our leadership and to infiltrate the culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Our nation allows each of us an equal voice in the selection of our leaders. We exercise that voice at the ballot box. Yet, we have a means far more effective than our vote. It is our prayer closet.

As believers, we bear a responsibility to vote but an even greater responsibility to pray for our leadership.

In Israel’s history, God allowed certain kings to reign, because they represented the wickedness of the people. At other times, God expressed His mercy by raising up a leader, who would bring about significant change, that resulted in wide spread revival for the nation. Paul explained the motivation behind praying for our leadership: God desires all men everywhere to be saved. We should be faithfully praying for leaders who would create an environment that allows for the furtherance of the kingdom.

Regardless of who sits on earthly thrones, the responsibility of the church does not change. The church was birthed in very heated political times. Israel sat under Roman dominance, and immorality was rampant throughout the empire. The early church did not look to Caesar as the answer to life’s problems. They looked to the Lord. They did not wait for legislation to make ministry easier or more accepted, nor did they become sidetracked from the mission in hand. Instead, they took seriously the great commission, and believed that no matter what happened in Rome, the world needed to hear about Jesus. Their message was not political but biblical. They believed that the hope for their world was the cross, and they proclaimed it boldly to the farthest reaches of the globe. As things heated up politically, the church became more devoted to prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world.

I wonder what would happen if we took half the time we spent complaining about the condition of our nation and invested that in prayer and in seeking effective ways to bring the Gospel message to others.