Warning: Are you a Sore Loser or a Boastful Winner?

I admit I’m spending way too much time trying to navigate my way through all the current political angst about the upcoming election. It changes by the hour and leaves me feeling confused and anxious. What if the outcome isn’t my choice? How is all the political noise currently affecting my attitude toward those who don’t support my candidate? My head is spinning and my heart is heavy. Already, the social tension is thick and ugly. 

I admit you’ll find this blog post to be lengthy. Hopefully, it will be a challenging one to make us think about our hearts. In that vein, I feel the need to write this post as a warning for us to be on alert.

As I’m sure you’re aware, we’re quickly coming up on an important presidential election. Someone will win and someone will lose, even if it may take awhile to confirm the results. I’m assuming you’ll vote. I’m also assuming you’ll be happy if your candidate wins, or you’ll be disappointed if your candidate loses. That’s understandable and human. So, what’s my warning to believers all about? Three things:

1. ) The degree to which we may be happy or sad about the outcome.

2.) Our unbiblical responses to the degree of loss or winning, and how it can affect our relationships.

3.) What our responses may say about our faith, trust, and hope.

So here goes:

1. The degree to which we may be happy or sad about the outcome tells us something about our heart.

As believers, our outlook on life should be characterized by a fairly static perspective…..no huge swings. When something doesn’t happen as we wish, manytimes we may find ourselves tempted to sink down into a dark quagmire of hopeless victimhood. Or, if something happens which we’ve longingly hoped for, it may send us into a euphoric, cloud-nine state of thinking that finally life is good! In light of this, I want you to think about how you may find yourself responding to the upcoming presidential election results.

I’m hearing a lot of doom and gloom lately. In fact, I have often found myself going down the road of fear and anxiety should my candidate lose….to the degree of saying, “We’ll move out of the country if the other person wins.” When I find myself thinking about the loss to that degree, sadly, it speaks of my misplaced hope and lack of trust in the sovereign will of God. More about that later.

On the other hand, if my candidate should win, I’m tempted to foolishly think all will be well, and I’ll rest a lot easier about my future. This perspective sets the stage for a false sense of security, as though I believe the people in government can cure the ills of a society run by broken, sinful people. Again, misplaced hope and trust.

Yes, certain conditions under different presidents can improve. or worsen, depending upon your point of view, but the bottom line is that in both cases, the candidates are humans….deceived by their own hearts, and also don’t have the ability to understand all things with pure wisdom. If we react to the upcoming election results by becoming hopelessly depressed, or ecstatically euphoric, then we’d best examine what we really believe about who holds our future. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matt. 6:21)

Let your degree of response to this upcoming election be an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to inform your broken soul of misplaced treasure. Turn Around and see that Christ is our only true hope.

2.) Our unbiblical response to the degree of loss or winning will affect our relationships.

Post-election, how will you relate to those whose candidate won or lost? I see a lot of pre-election ugliness right now among believing people, not to mention the general population. I hear of splits in families, distancing among former friends, cold shoulders toward people who would vote for “the other candidate”. I’m hearing hate speech, doomsday prophets and character assassinations. It’s gotten to the point where conversations aren’t open for lively debate anymore, but rather occasions to prove the other person wrong, and to stubbornly insist that we’re right. This is a prescription for relational sabotage.

Remember, a vote is merely someone’s preference….not a sin. It’s an expression of the way someone chooses to do something. A preference to vote for one’s candidate of choice is a right of our citizenship. I have close family members who actively support the other guy, and I have to admit that I often think they need to have their head examined. I start to judge, I let their preference get under my skin, and it begins to affect the way I relate to them. Why? They haven’t sinned against me merely by voting for someone I don’t want to win. Why does their preference personally offend me? I actually feel angry about it sometimes. So, what am I supposed to do with that? Have you experienced a break or strain in a relationship because of the upcoming election? Has someone who has opposing views offended you by their speech or actions? Sometimes others’ preferences can become controversial issues which intentionally strike out at us in a hurtful way, or we can be just as blind to the fact that we often impose our unwanted views upon others. These often silent attacks cut just as deeply. In either case, be forewarned that this upcoming election will most probably challenge us to think about how we are called to relate to others whose views and opinions differ from ours. In light of this, what if I don’t feel like continuing to pursue in love, or even want to? Why even bother? It’s more obvious than ever that I don’t share the same political or possibly, the same social views as some of my family and friends. This situation challenges the very essence of the gospel…. reconciliation. Am I willing to pursue those with whom I’ve disagreed about the recent political or social situation?

I can assure you reconciliation is Holy Spirit work. We more than likely won’t feel like doing it, we won’t think it’s fair, and we most likely will think, Why do I have to do all the work? Haven’t they been just as contentious? We’ll be challenged to remember that we’ve been called to move toward people who may be difficult to love, because Christ has done the same for us. He was God, yet He humbled Himself and became a servant, although we didn’t deserve it. I’m not saying it’ll be easy. This is an occasion for us to demonstrate grace to others, and that won’t happen unless humility is present on our part.

A sore loser is someone who cannot accept their loss. They continue to hold grudges, and barely tolerate those who have opposed them. If your candidate is handed a loss, will you be so angry that you’ll forget our God is the One who really places rulers in their position? Will you be so fearful that you’ll forget who really holds your future?

Or, on the contrary, a boastful winner is someone who gloats over their successes. They love saying, “I told you so.” They delight in their position of winning superiority. If you’re handed a win, will you rub your opponents faces in the proverbial mud? Will you boast of your perceived correct insight?

Whether we win or lose, we need to exhibit humility, and be willing to give free-flowing grace to others in order to foster loving relationships. Humility doesn’t live in the boastful….and giving grace to others doesn’t flow from an angry heart. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1 Peter 4:8-9) Even though someone’s vote isn’t a sin, possibly you’ve experienced personal pain because of sinful attitudes or words from them. Turn Around and remember…..the tenor of our relationships speak loudly to the reputation of Christ.

3.) How does our ultimate response to the election expose our hope and affect our relationships?

The degree to which we’re disappointed or elated about something we hope for speaks to how tightly we’ve held onto that hope. Do I believe that if I get what I want, I’ll be able to sleep more soundly? Yes. If my candidate wins, will I be more content about what my future may hold? Yes. On the other hand, if my guy loses, will I initially think all is lost? Probably. It sounds extreme, doesn’t it? However, this is the way we broken people think, and will react, if we let our hope rest in the wrong place. Just listen to your thoughts or feelings when there’s a possibility of not getting something you want. You get angry, frustrated, impatient, fearful, vindictive, resentful, etc. Those are natural human feelings,….and this election may give you an unwanted outcome. How will you respond? More importantly, how will you carry on relationships that feel strained, or have been damaged, due to political or social opposition? If we no longer feel the need to mend those damaged relationships, then we seriously need to think deeply about our level of intensity toward the hopeful success of our candidate. Have we let the political choice of another person determine the course of the relationship? If so, then it isn’t biblical.

Governments, rulers and authorities are temporary, even if it may be difficult to submit to their governance. How I pursue others with Christlike love has an eternal impact for the Kingdom. If our faith doesn’t express itself through love, then we consciously withhold opportunities to illustrate to others who Jesus is.

To be clear, I’m the first one who needs to be transformed by what I’ve written as much as anyone who reads this. I’m affected daily, and sadly become fearful whenever I pass a yard sign, read a billboard, or hear an ad which reminds me of the importance attached to the upcoming election as it portends the future direction of our country. I vacillate between anxiety and anger. These reactions, if held onto for any prolonged period of time, should expose my lack of trust in God’s sovereignty.  Consequently, change won’t be possible unless I’m willing to check my heart for its misplaced hope and repent of my unbelief in His perfect plan.

As we approach the presidential election, take this time to assess whether or not you think you may be a boastful winner or a sore loser. Certainly winning or losing comes with emotion which is natural. What is NOT natural, but rather supernatural, is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Turn Around and pray that He will expose your fear, your pride, your lack of trust in God’s overall plan, and your short-sightedness that He is still, and always will be, on the throne.