Teaching the Children, Beyond Election Day

As I think about, pray about, and teach about the election this year, I am not focused solely on Super Tuesday. I’m not even worrying about the outcome or its implications. Rather, my focus is teaching my children about OUR election. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people for God’s possession (1 Peter 2:9) equipped for every good work (Ephesians 2:10). This remains true no matter who wins the elections for any office.

My son is classified as a junior in our homeschool this year. He is very interested in history and political science. We’ve been learning about non-biased news sources, how to research a topic and the source of information, and how our government works. He has an amazing understanding of various types of governments and holds high ideals. 

Still, we had many discussions leading up to Super Tuesday. He was allowed to stay up much later than usual (though not as long as it took to hit the 270 mark) and our conversations continued. As we learned together this year, I went beyond the lessons of which issues matter most for our family. This time, I wanted to make clear that no matter who is in a position of authority, our position does not change. Once again, in this particular order, here are the lessons I teach, and strive to model.

1. No matter who holds the president’s office, my character remains the same. Who I am doesn’t change with the person in office. The roles I fill and the way I respond remain consistent.
2. No matter what the president or any other leader says, my beliefs do not change. Change in beliefs happens through deep study, asking tough questions, and conviction by the Spirit. 
3. No matter what happens in Washington D.C. or any other government office, my daily routine is unaffected. I still get up in the morning, drink my coffee, and teach my children. I still read my Bible, pray, worship, and serve others. I still have to buy the groceries, put gas in the car, do the housework, and ALL THE THINGS a wife and mom must do. Meals still need cooking, laundry still needs doing, and on and on (even though my kids help considerably with the household tasks). 
4. Finally, no matter who holds any earthly position of authority, God remains sovereign. Throughout Scripture, we read that God places people in positions of authority, but we are also reminded to follow God’s commands first. 

I’ve had many elections that did not end in my candidate’s success, but my response has been continuing to pray for the leaders and the decisions they make. Every vote matters. Regardless of the outcome, we each choose our response. In other words, an election does not fundamentally change my identity as God’s child or His position over all things. As a believer, I hold on to His Truth, live in His good, pleasing, and perfect will, to the best of my ability, and rest in His grace when I fall short.