Does God Make Unlikely Choices?

National election 2024 is just around the corner, and many voters have already cast their ballot.  Meanwhile, America is deeply divided over which presidential ticket would best serve our country for the next four years.  Although there is heightened confusion due to media bias and an abundance of rancor on both sides, the platforms of Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz leave no doubt about the contrast in their respective values. 

The Trump-Vance platform defends the sanctity of human life while respecting the life of the mother and father; it supports limited government regulation, reigning in diversity-equity-inclusion (DEI) programs, supporting school choice, and protection of freedoms under the U.S. Constitution.  Trump-Vance also favors strengthening our borders and emphasizing “peace through strength” to avoid foreign wars.  We have elaborated on these and other contrasts between Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz elsewhere.  [Click HERE to read more.]

Right to Sit Out the Election?
In spite of the contrast between presidential tickets, shocking statistics from George Barna at Arizona Christian University (ACU), estimate that "as many as 41 million Christians plan to sit this election out — more than enough to hand the country’s keys to the eager and radical Left."  [Read more HERE.]   Christians are apparently choosing not to vote either out of apathy or for one of two other reasons.  They are either confused about how to view the candidates and the issues from a biblical framework or they dislike both tickets.  

Len Munsil, president of ACU believes many Christian voters are “longing for their local church to instruct them on how to think biblically about policy and politics. They don't want to be told how to vote but they do want to know why they should vote and how to view political issues from a biblical framework." [Read more HERE.]

Pray for our pastors to have courage to lead and inform their "sheep" who want to understand how to choose and vote wisely and consistently with biblical values.  Understandably, evangelical pastors should want to keep the message of the Gospel of salvation front and center.  However, the New Testament Scriptures commands Christ-followers to respect those in authority and to respect government which is established by God. 

During the first century AD when these Scriptures were written, Christians were ruled by unelected officials.  Now that we have the freedom and right to vote there is no excuse for not taking seriously our privilege and responsibility to cast our votes. The following Scriptures written by the Apostle Paul required of first-century Christians then, and now us today, to give attention and respect to our government leaders for a higher purpose (emphasis added):

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  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. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time… Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.  – 1 Timothy 2: 1-8

Notice that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  It seems obvious that Christ-followers should exercise stewardship of their freedom to vote in a way that elects men and women whose policies will sustain a society in which the Gospel can be preached and biblical values can be promoted as a way of life in America.  But what about those who say, “I don’t like either candidate!”

But I Don’t Like Either Candidate!
We have seen that God commands us to pray for all men and for kings in authority.  In Romans 13, the Apostle Paul elaborates on this command (emphasis added):   Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (v. 1)... as a minister of God to you for good (v. 4a). 

If no authority is established without God’s will, and if God’s purpose is that our leaders be those who are “ministers to us for good,” then we are responsible to use our God-given freedom to elect “good leaders.”  But you may ask, what if I see no “good” in either candidate?  To which we would reply, is there ever such a candidate who is perfect in every way, gentle, likeable, agreeable in political philosophy, etc.?  And, is our choice (or refusal to choose) consistent with the choice that God would consider “for the good” of unborn human life?  Or for the “good” for establishing law and order, legal due process, respect for our nation’s borders, and respect for those desiring immigration while protecting them from child traffickers and other consequences of being incentivized to leave their homeland and family?

We do not believe that it is violating God’s laws to vote for an imperfect candidate whose policies are the most consistent with biblical morality.  We should also consider the trajectory of the character of the candidates:  Which has demonstrated the most consistent character qualities, maturity in his or her behavior, consistent position on important policies, and experience befitting the office of President?  Beyond that, we should be careful not to withhold support for a candidate who, though not perfect, has the most God-honoring traits—e.g. love for family, for children both born and unborn, for the American people and our nation, for those in authority, and for biblical values.

Some Unlikely People God Has Chosen
Granted, we cannot be sure who God would choose.  However, the Bible provides details of a rich history of God choosing men and women from all walks of life, socioeconomic status, and political persuasion.   Read on for a few examples:

I was extremely wealthy, but I was a liar. I married a beautiful woman, but when she could not give me a son, I chose to have sex with another woman who gave me a son—and many headaches along with him.  But God patiently nurtured my faith in Him.  By His mercy and grace, God gave me another son through whom I became the “father of many nations” through my descendant, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12, 16, 21).  – Abraham

I was a trickster from birth, stole the inheritance from my twin brother, cheated my employer, and wrestled with God through most of my life.  Then, one night I literally wrestled with God until finally my hip was dislocated and I have walked with a limp ever since.  But by God’s mercy, I became humble and obedient, and He gave me a new name.  (Genesis 25, 27, 32)  – Israel (Jacob, “the deceiver.”) 

I was a prince, but also a murderer, a coward, a short-tempered man, and one who could not speak well, especially in crowds (Exodus 2, 3).  But God used me to lead a nation of several million out of slavery in Egypt.   – Moses

I was a prostitute who unknowingly welcomed some men into my home, but they only propositioned me for information.  By faith in the God of Israel, I risked my life to help them.  Then, I hung out a red ribbon which became my salvation when God’s army came to destroy my city (Joshua 2, 6).  By God’s grace and mercy, I became the great grandmother of Jesse, the father of King David.   -- Rahab

I was a shepherd, a musician, a writer, a warrior, and a king.  But I became proud of my accomplishments and stole a man’s wife, then killed him to cover up my affair.  Yet, by His rich mercy, God sent a prophet to confront me about my sin.  I repented and was forgiven (Psalm 51).  God remembered His covenant throughout my royal line until, centuries later, my descendant named Jesus was born, “King of the Jews.”  -- David

I was a heathen king of the Empire of Babylon.  I erected an idyllic image of myself and commanded the people to worship me with the threat that I would cremate anyone alive who refused—and I carried out this wicked threat.  But when I became so proud, God humbled me to the point that I became as a wild beast, my body covered with hair, my fingernails as bird claws.  I ate grass like the cattle and was humbled until God in His mercy, restored me to authority where I proclaimed that He only is the righteous Creator to whom all honor is due (Daniel 4: 34-37). –King Nebuchadnezzar

I was a despised tax collector for the Romans, named Levi.  I padded my life with stolen and undeserved excesses in monies extracted from my poor countrymen and women.  Jesus, knowing all about me, came to my tax office and said, “Follow Me.”  I got up and followed Him.  Later, God allowed me to use my gifts under the inspiration of His Holy Spirit to write what became the first gospel in the New Testament.   – Matthew

Watch video of the call of Jesus to Matthew – Click HERE

I was a Jewish leader (a Pharisee), a scholar and religious teacher.  But when I learned that an itinerant preacher had started a peaceful ‘revolution’ of sorts, I began to round up His followers, called “Christians,” and imprison them.  I even held the coats of my countrymen while they stoned to his death a Christ-follower named Stephen.  But God, “being rich in mercy,” although I was dead in my sin, made me alive with Christ and used me to spread the Gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire.  My message: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—and I am the worst of them (1 Timothy 1: 15)!”  – the Apostle Paul (formerly, Saul)

I was born and raised on a family farm.  My parents introduced me to God by taking my sister, brother, and I to church every Sunday.  For years, I wondered how I could be good enough to please God.  Meanwhile, I broke each one of the Ten Commandments in thought if not in action.  Then, I was introduced to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for my sin.  I still face the challenge of sin and temptation, but God has given me the power and victory over my sin nature, the grace and forgiveness I need through Christ’s shed blood when I confess my failings, and a loving family and church to encourage me along the way.  – John Silvius

Lessons from God’s Unlikely Choices
Now that you have read brief accounts of several men and women whom God chose, let’s consider a few questions: 
1)   How would you compare the character and reputation of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris to yours, especially if you had walked in their shoes during the past decade or more? 
2)   How does the character of our presidential candidates each compare to the biblical characters listed above?
3)   Does the character and personality of either or both of our presidential candidates remind you of someone in your past that you liked or disliked?
4)   Is it possible that a person who refuses to study carefully and make distinctions between the presidential candidates could be contradicting the record of how God chose men and women for His purposes in the past?   

Maybe the questions above and other questions can help us sort through our own values and past experiences and how these affect our voting preferences.  We may even discover that there are many other people besides the candidates are already making our lives difficult.  How should we respond?

Can’t stand your spouse?  
Pray for him or her.
Wondering why God hasn’t given you a better pastor? 
Pray for him and encourage him.
Don’t want your boss to “rule over you?”  
Ask God to help you know how to encourage him.
Can’t stand a presidential candidate?  
Pray for God’s work in his or her life.
Can’t bring yourself to vote for either candidate?
Pray and consider God’s purposes and “good” you might be opposing by your decision.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 
                                         – 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29

Will You Share Your Story?
How about your life story? 
Do you believe God has chosen you be a Christ-following disciple?  
Do you believe you are worthy of being chosen?  
How do you explain that God would choose you? 
For what purpose(s) has God chosen you?
What would God have you do now?

Please click on “Comments” below to share your story online, or write to me at silviusj@gmail.com.

Limits to Intimacy? 1. An Invitation

When I was in my twenties and engaged to be married, I ran across an article entitled “Are There Limits to Intimacy.”  I confess that I was intrigued by the question because, in my naïve state of mind, I was thinking of “intimacy” only in terms of sexual intimacy.  The article did touch on sexuality in marriage, but the author focused mainly on the deeper question of what fosters intimacy in any relationship—friendship, sibling, marriage, etc. 

Why the ”Intimacy Question”?
During our 55 years together, Abby and I have been blessed in our marriage and family, and in relationships with our friends. Still from time to time, the topic of “limits to intimacy” arises in our conversation, especially when we have disagreements that can jiggle our calm, or when we read the disturbing statistics about the state of relationships in our current culture.

In spite of access to social media, video calling, transportation, and loads of amusements, increasing numbers of people report feelings of isolation and loneliness.  A Harvard University survey of American adults this past Spring reported that 21% of adults in the U.S. feel lonely, with many respondents feeling disconnected from friends, family, and/or the world. They identified various factors that contribute to loneliness, as well as personal and community solutions. The data also suggest that underneath loneliness may be a troubling brew of feelings, including anxiety, depression, and a lack of meaning and purpose. 

The Harvard study is not alone in revealing the extent of loneliness in our culture.  Therefore, the question, “Are there limits to intimacy?” becomes even more relevant.  Most of us who value relationships with other people would naturally be interested in this question.  Whether in our marriages or in our friendships with others, we want close relationships that grow and endure the test of time in spite of our sinful natures.

If there are limits to intimacy, and it is obvious there are, what are they, and how can minimizing or eliminating them produce closer, more fulfilling relationships?  If you are still reading, we will assume you are already asking these questions and thinking of some answers from your experiences.  Therefore, our approach will be to define what is meant by “intimacy” and then to raise some questions we have been asking about “limits to intimacy.”  Finally, we will invite you to share your perspectives based on your faith and experiences by using the “Comments” link.

“Intimacy” Defined
As noted earlier, intimacy is often defined within the context of sexual relations, but its meaning is much broader.  As a noun, an intimate can mean a “close friend.”  As an adjective, intimate is used to describe the closeness of a relationship where the word means “inmost, innermost, deepest.”  Taken together, it may be said that intimacy of each member of a relationship requires investment of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.

Psychologists often define intimacy in terms of four or five types.  For example, Dr. Judy Ho, writing in Psychology Today [Read more HERE.], lists five (5) types of intimacy quoted as follows:

·      Physical intimacy includes physical touch (both sexual and non-sexual) such as intercourse, kissing, hugs, cuddling, sitting close together, or holding hands.

·      Emotional intimacy involves the honest sharing of your thoughts, feelings, fears, hopes, and/or dreams, and feeling heard and understood by another person.

·      Intellectual intimacy involves communicating beliefs, viewpoints, and ideas in a way that creates intellectual stimulation, curiosity, interest, and acceptance (despite possibly differing vantage points).

·      Experiential intimacy involves doing something together that creates a shared experience or allows teamwork toward a common goal.

·      Spiritual intimacy involves sharing moments that bring you a sense of awe, wonder, or acknowledgement with something bigger than yourself.

We Invite Your Comments
Below are some questions we have been asking about intimacy in relationships.  Hopefully, they will help you think more deeply about limits to intimacy.  Because we think you will want to respond in some way, here are three options from which you can choose:
1.  Ponder the Questions without commenting.  We hope you will personally gain from it.
2.  Posting Your Comment:  Make your comment(s) as concise as possible, but don’t refrain for fear you will be put down.  Your comments or questions will add important insights for others to read.  You may use your first name, or use “Anonymous.”
3.  Respond Privately:  You may contact us by e-mail using silviusj@gmail.com.  Obviously, we want to respect the privacy all who participate as well as those in our relationships by withholding actual names (or use a fictitious name if you like).

Here are the questions we offer to engage your thinking about intimacy in relationships:

1.  Think of your closest friend.  Is your friendship growing, stable, or stagnating?  What is it that sustains your friendship and helps you to grow closer?  Or, what things currently limit your closeness?  [If your closest friend is your spouse, then your answers will be a bit different but the questions still apply.]

2.  Are there limits to the closeness or intimacy that friends or even spouses can attain?  What are hindrances to establishing intimacy between friends or spouses?

3.  What is the most fundamental ingredient to develop and sustain intimacy in any relationship?  How does a person or relationship develop this ingredient?

4.  Are there situations in a relationship in which we are justified when we decide we must refrain from a certain communication, action, or behavior toward our friend or spouse?  What is an objective source or ethical basis for justifying your decision?

5.  Is it possible to establish an intimate relationship by a social media communication alone?  If not, what elements of a genuine intimate relationship would need to be addressed by other means than social media?  Are there applications we can make from this line of reasoning to address causes of the troubling statistics on loneliness, depression, etc. we cited above?

6.  What role does a person’s spiritual life, faith, and personal worldview play in developing close, intimate relationships with others?  Would you consider the spiritual dimension as a primary or secondary ingredient in developing intimacy in your relationships?

7.  How necessary is intimate self-knowing or self-awareness to our ability to form intimate relationships with another person or persons?  What do you believe is necessary for growing in knowledge of “self?”

Where Is God in Our Storms?

Many of us are asking how any good could possibly come from something as devastating as hurricane Helene or the oncoming hurricane Milton.  Many whose lives and homes have been destroyed feel powerless and helpless.  Still, with hope in God, we pray that Milton will turn away or stop in the Name of Jesus, the One who stilled the storm when He said, “Peace, Be Still.”  

We want to have faith that our prayers are heard.  But doubt creeps in, especially for the many whose lives have been so abruptly changed.  Many have asked, “If there is a God and if He is good, how can He allow bad things to happen?   It’s a good question, but there are more basic questions we should ask.

We should first ask ourselves, “What is ‘GOOD?’”  What is “good” for some may be “bad” for others, and vice versa.  “Who among us knows how to define GOOD for all who are involved?”
Most people of faith would agree that only God can do this.  God is the only One who can still the storms around us and within our anxious souls.

In the Bible we read that Job was so severely tested that he questioned God’s purpose and goodness.  Job lost most of his livestock and possessions; and then, lost his sons and daughters in a windstorm.  Job’s wife advised him to give up and blame God for the calamity.  But Job said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2: 9-10).

We can search the Book of Job in hopes of finding an answer to why God allows “bad things” to occur.  But the answer is not there.  Nor did God answer Job directly when Job asked God why he had to suffer.  Instead, God pointed Job to the evidences of His wisdom and sovereignty in creation and in sustaining His created order.  When Job heard God’s powerful message to him, he bowed down in humble adoration and
    …answered the Lord and said, 
    I know that You can do all things,
       And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
  ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
       “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand,
         Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”
  ‘Hear, now, and I will speak;
       I will ask You, and You instruct me.’
   “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear;
       But now my eye sees You;
   Therefore I retract,
       And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Several millennia later, James, half-brother of Jesus, reminds us of ancient Job’s sufferings:
We count those blessed who endured.
You have heard of the endurance of Job
and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings,
that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. – James 5: 11

Today, in the midst of suffering and loss, Christ-followers, moved with God’s compassion and  mercy are coming together to assist each other and participate in the restoration.  May each of us who are not directly affected by these storms participate in the supply of “good” from the hand of God through our supportive involvement by prayer, by giving, and by hands-on help where possible.  For those who want to provide financial assistance to recovery efforts, we recommend giving to Samaritan’s Purse a faith-based organization led by Franklin Graham.

God Is in Our Storms
Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
 - Mark 4: 38-41

F.B. Meyer wrote an encouraging message for us when we question God’s goodness and love:

“We sail the lake with Him still, and as we reach its middle waters, far from land, under midnight skies, suddenly a great storm sweeps down.  Earth and hell seem arrayed against us, and each billow threatens to overwhelm.  Then He arises from His sleep, and rebukes the winds and the waves.  His hand waves benediction and repose over the rage of the tempestuous elements.  His voice is heard above the scream of the wind in the cordage and the conflict of the billows. Peace, be still!
Can you not hear it?  And there is instantly a great calm.”
He giveth quietness.   (Job 34: 29)
         -- F.B. Meyer (Great Verses through the Bible. Zondervan, 1966)

Add Your Word of Encouragement
We welcome you to share your words of encouragement, a comforting Scripture, or an account from your experience of how you saw God working through your time of trial.  Use the “Comment” link below to share, anonymously if you prefer; or communicate with us by e-mail:  silviusj@gmail.com