THE COMING ELECTIONS
On Tuesday 9th. August 2022 Kenyans will go in large numbers to elect leaders at all tiers of Government. These will be men and women who will be entrusted with the task of making and reviewing the laws governing our country. These laws will be binding on our consciences and we break then only at the cost of incurring God’s wrath (Romans 13:5). Because of this, how prepared are you to elect leaders who are worthy to occupy such important positions of authority?
Please think seriously about the following 3 things:
1. God has an interest in our government, and so you also ought to have an interest. Some professing Christians will have nothing to do with such ‘filthy things’ as elections! Some may not even have bothered to register as voters, while others who did may not vote on the actual day. This is wrong. God not only recognizes human governments; He is the One who sovereignly appoints them (Romans 13:1)
2. You have a say in who should govern you for the next 5 years. In countries ruled by military regimes, or by monarchs, like in Rome in the days of the Apostle Paul (Romans 13), there was no choice of leadership. It was imposed. Yet, the Biblical command is, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). In Kenya we are privileged to help choose our leaders every 5 years. The election will be an opportunity to wade through a long list of aspirants and to cast your vote for the one you want.
3. You must be wise and responsible for the choice you make. The campaign period leading up to August 9th. is marked by a lot of empty promises which are not going to be fulfilled but rather renewed 5 years from now! There are also attempts to bribe potential voters and sadly many succumb to this temptation. Did you know that God hates bribery? Bribery blinds the eyes… The giver and the receiver of a bribe are both an abomination to God (Exodus 23:8, Psalm 26:9–10). Kenya remains ranked among the world’s most corrupt countries. One of the ways to fight this evil is to seek to elect more upright and honest leaders. This is your responsibility and you must take it seriously.
Finally, we must clearly point out that even the best government in the world cannot eradicate corruption, wickedness, immorality, etc. This is because the problems of society reside in the heart of all men and women (Jeremiah 17:9). Our great hope must not be in a new Government, as important as it is. The hope of Kenyans must be in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which can alone change the wicked heart. This is why we continue to emphasize that it is the Word of God that must continue to be proclaimed up and down the land.
Adapted from Grace & Truth Magazine
