IIn one of those too-weird-to-be-true-yet-so moments, Kamala Harris just insulted Christians everywhere. At one of his last rallies, a young man shouted “Jesus is Lord,” causing him to give a disdainful look and respond, “Oh, I guess you came to the wrong rally.” “I guess you were thinking of going to the smaller rally down the street,” he said, drawing strength from the mocking laughter of his supporters. The audience howled and laughed. He looked very proud.

As the story went viral, reality set in. Kamala Harris suddenly told Christian voters that their faith-based political views were not welcome in her camp. Misinterpretation? You decide. I have.

Christians around the world must consider how their faith is respected or disparaged in politics.

While serving in the State Senate, I frequently sponsored pro-life bills. I remember being repeatedly accused of the vile crime of mixing my faith with my politics. “Tell me it’s not that bad, Phil! You haven’t really acted like a Christian in the political arena, have you?!” I hope I did!

I was not chosen to be less than I am. I ran as a conservative, a patriot, and an unabashed believer in Jesus. If my faith makes me who and what I am, it would be hypocritical to leave it at home.

Dr. Ben Carson recently chaired the Alabama Institute of Politics’ annual dinner and offered his own thoughts on faith in the public sphere. “It is said that there are two things we should never talk about in public: politics and religion. But those are the two things we need to talk about because those are the places where we are being attacked,” Carson said. I would also add that we absolutely need to talk about these things together: faith AND politics.

Truth and common sense come together to tell us that we must mix our faith with our politics. Vote for our faith. Vote with faith. Pray for our candidates. Pray for our administration.

Christians everywhere must unapologetically blend their faith-based values, traditions, and principles into their policies. In the absence of Christian voices in the public sphere, the void will be filled by those who believe the opposite, even those who ridicule and destroy our ability to live our Christian worldview.

Christians should care about who makes and enforces the laws that govern our country. It’s simple: Either we Christians will talk about our faith, or non-believers will talk about our faith. I’d rather be us than them.

But despite the freedom to do so, a recent study by pollster George Barna found that thirty-two million self-identified church-going Christians are expected to opt out of this election. For one reason or another, they will not be able to go to the polls. Fully 68 percent said this was due to “lack of interest in politics and elections.” It’s not their bag…it just doesn’t get their attention…it just doesn’t get into it.

President of Zirve Ministries, Dr. Jeff Myers recently noted that it’s not about knowing all the candidates or all the issues. He gave a very concise set of principles that Christians could weigh. “(C)onstitutional principles” such as “life, liberty, (and) property” because these are “the three things the Constitution says it was developed to ensure.” Myers said. When a Christian struggled to know at least all he could stand, he elaborated by saying: “…which candidate for any office is most likely to abate the evils that occur around life, liberty, and property? … This will help my decision.” Myers is right.

This does not mean knowing everything about politics. The important thing is to be a good protector of this nation. We are entrusted with a nation that gives us great freedoms, including freedom of worship. If we as believers abdicate our role as stewards by deferring our right to vote for a faith-based worldview, we will be no better than the unfaithful servant in Matthew 25 who took the resources given to him by his master and buried them in the ground instead of investing them. wisely. He just sat on it. He did nothing to further the cause.

Stewardship of what has been entrusted to us is not only sought, but expected. What will we do with this country given to us? Will Christians take bold action to grow and lead it? Will people of faith be good stewards of America? Or are we going to sit on our asses and wait to see what happens?

I don’t want to be the person who finally realizes that I squandered the opportunity to develop our nation’s capabilities, increase our power, and protect life, liberty, and property.

The Christian faith is not based on works. I believe so. Salvation comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But there are two parts to being a Christian: making him Savior and making him Lord of our lives. Salvation is guaranteed, but lordship is our witness. In James 2:18 (NASB) we are told that faith and works go together as a visual reminder to the world we believe in. “But some may say: “You have faith, and I have works; Show me your faith without your deeds, and I will show you my faith with my deeds.”

Voting works. Sometimes Christians need to engage in being Christian in real, practical ways.

Faith and politics go together like a hand in a glove. Christians, stand up. Get busy, go to the polls and vote for your faith. Vote like your faith depends on it. Your ability to openly practice your faith without fear of losing your life, liberty, and property actually does this.