19 April 2015

How should I vote?

It won’t surprise you to learn that I’m not going to tell you which candidate to vote for! In some elections in some countries, there may be a very obvious choice for Christians, but I don’t think that’s the case in this General Election. Nevertheless, there are some principles that may usefully guide us as Christian believers:

• Vote gladly, making sure you do actually vote. We should only withhold our vote if there are good reasons for doing so, not because we can’t be bothered.
• Vote conscientiously, especially if there are issues that genuinely seem right or wrong to you, and it would trouble your conscience to vote differently.
• Vote compassionately, seeking what is best for others and for the country as a whole, and not just what is good for us.
• Vote prayerfully, asking God for the wisdom to make the best choice between the candidates who are standing.
• Vote thankfully, grateful that we live in a country where we are free to vote, and we can be confident that the election will be conducted fairly.
• Vote locally, remembering that we actually vote for a constituency MP rather than for a party, and there may be good reasons for voting for a particular individual.
• Vote trustingly, knowing that God is sovereign over every vote cast and the result of the whole election is in his hands.