Life as a Christian Woman

¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2: 1-4

I was on Facebook the other day (yeah, I know… but I like keeping up with friends back home). Anyway, I saw the page of a girl of about 10 who attends a Christian school in the area, who is the daughter of a friend of mine. I clicked to look at her page, expecting to see the usual pictures of dance classes, band and school friends.

But right there, next to Political Views, she had typed: I hate Obama.

I stared at it for a minute, then started checking other friends’ pages, friends who are outspoken conservative Christians.

And I saw more of the same.

Phrases such as “Obama hater,” “Obama must go away,” and my personal favorite, “I hope Obama and Oprah like to spend time together, because they will be in Hell together for eternity.”

Seriously?

I mean, really? What part of any of that screams, “I am a Christian, a follower of the risen Lord who died for my crummy sins?”

Now, lest you think I am some “left wing, radical, liberal nut” (I hate labels), I am a conservative Christian who voted for the other guy. I have grave concerns, worries, about the direction of our nation.

But when I read scripture, I’m missing the part where it says to hate, to wish Hell on someone. I mean, isn’t that the opposite of what we are called to do? Aren’t we supposed to base our faith on love? To hate the sin, but love the sinner?

We are told to pray for our leaders, to lift them up to God. How, exactly, do you lift someone up that you profess to “hate” or that you hope to condemn to Hell for eternity?

And worse yet, are parents imparting this to their children?

Agree or disagree with the President, Senate, House, state officials, etc., we are told… COMMANDED!… to pray for them. According to scripture, they have been placed in power by God:

¹Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ²Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Romans 13: 1-2

Later in Romans 13 we read:

⁸Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13: 8-10

Explain to me how you can fulfill our command to love one another, yet hate? Sorry, those two things are diametrically opposed to each other.

Should we take whatever our leaders say and follow like sheep? No. However, we must pray for them, pray for their spiritual life, pray for their ability to seek and discern the will of God in the mountainous decisions that they must make.

To do anything less, to hate or cause others to hate, to disparage our leaders, is sin.