The important mid-term election is now over, and already we can feel the air coming out of the national balloon. How do we know this next go-round is not going to be just more of the same old same? More Washington business as usual? If government is our best hope, then we are at best hopeless.

Christians should use the post-election season to reflect on the things that matter most – seeking the Kingdom of God, repenting of our sins, making the Good News of Jesus known far and wide, and making sure in all we do that we’re rooted and grounded in God’s Word. There is no lasting “hope and change” apart from the work of God’s Spirit, and He only works in an environment where repentance and Kingdom-seeking take off from the launch pad of God’s Word and prayer. Here are some resources to guide your reflection, items for action, and a conversation starter:

Resources

“Detox,” by T. M. Moore

“The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience,” by Ronald J. Sider

“Seeking the Kingdom First,” by Robert Royal

“Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God,” by David Naugle

“Reason to Repent: The Good News of the Kingdom,” by T. M. Moore

“The Rest of the Gospel: Advancing the Kingdom,” by Regis Nicoll

“Revival at Home,” by Charles Colson

“When Heaven Touches Earth: The Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, and Revival,” by William L. DeArteaga

“How Great Awakenings Happen,” by Herbert Schlossberg 

For more insight to this question, order the book, Repentance: A Daring Call to Real Surrender, by C. John Miller, from our online store.  

Items for action

1. Create a “conversations” group – online, via Skype, at your work place, among some Christian friends, in a coffee shop or bookstore – and set a regular time to meet together to talk about and pray for revival, renewal, and awakening in our nation. Take the lead on this. You can use the Two-Minute Warning and related resources as a focal point of your conversations.
2. Immediately contact your elected officials in Washington – Senators and Congress person – and let them know that, following Paul’s exhortation in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, you will be praying for them regularly. Include a link to ColsonCenter.org and encourage them to sign-up for the Two-Minute Warning newsletter. Establish some means of reminding yourself of this commitment.
3. Send this week’s Talking Points column to friends around the country. Make a point to follow-up to make sure they’ve read it. Ask them to join you in one or more of the action items. Keep in touch about what you commit to doing.

Conversation starter

Here’s a conversation starter you might try out to engage your Christian friends in thinking about the things that matter most: “So now that the election is over, we can get back to the things that matter most. What would you say those things are?”