Undecided Voters—Undecided People—Undecided Christians
A commentary by
Don Hooser
United Church of God pastor, Sedro-Woolley, Washington
The 2004 U. S. election is over. But in the days leading up
to it a small but significant number of voters were still undecided about
their preference for their national leader. These "undecided" voters
grabbed the nation's political spotlight.
They also received a disproportionate amount of attention from the
candidates and the media—both recognizing that these swing voters
could easily decide the outcome of the election. So both candidates pandered
to them, attempting to push their emotional buttons.
Many news commentators noted, due to each candidate's intense
focus on so few voters, that the majority of citizens were deprived of
an in-depth discussion of many of the critical issues facing our civilization.
It is simply a fact of life, however, that many people are ambivalent
about many things. The advertising industry is keenly aware that people
who are undecided about what products and services they really need can
be easily manipulated into purchasing what appeals to their senses in
place of what meets their genuine needs. Politicians are equally aware
that undecided voters are just as susceptible to "hot button" personal
issues that often have little bearing on a society's greater national
well-being.
A strong and stable society needs strong core values—held with
conviction by its citizens—as its foundation. When national debates
are diverted from those core issues by the highly personalized feelings
of an ambivalent but possibly decisive political minority, the nation's
focus can become clouded.
This brings us to a fundamental question: from what source should we
obtain our core convictions? Isn't it logical that they should
be derived from the teachings of our Creator?
Speaking about those teachings, King David, one of mankind's
most exemplarily political leaders, once said, "Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). And Jesus
Christ exclaimed, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
Many biblical scriptures echo this principle—that the Word of
God is the foundation and starting point for right knowledge and right
values. A person without deeply rooted convictions, tends to be unstable
and readily changes his mind. Jesus Christ compared such a person to "...
one who hears the word [biblical instruction] and immediately receives
it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while..." (Matthew
13:20-21, New Revised Standard Version). And James tells us that "a
double-minded man" is "unstable in all his ways" (James
1:8).
Inconsistency is not limited to the realms of advertising and politics.
It also has invaded the world of religion. Today there are millions of "undecided" Christians.
They are unsure of what to believe, unsure of what to do. They have adopted
the gray thinking of relativism, afraid or ashamed to take a stand on
right versus wrong. They are the "swing" Christians, the "seesaw" Christians.
They act like Christians one moment but cave in to peer-pressure and
other temptations the next moment.
God wants us to have rock-solid convictions, courage, and commitment
based on the principles found in His Word. When the prophet Elijah had
to confront 850 prophets of a pagan religion, he courageously exclaimed, "How
long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow
him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (1 Kings 18:21, New International
Version). God wants us to get off the fence and commit ourselves to believing
His values and following His way of life.
As an example, notice what God told Joshua, the successor to Moses: "Only
be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to
all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it
to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you
go" (Joshua 1:7, emphasis added). Joshua set a sterling example
of being zealous, obedient, and consistent.
Later in life, Joshua was able to say with all sincerity, "Choose
for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).
Do you have the courage to make that same commitment? If you do, examine
your own values to see how they match up with God's word.
 For
a plain speaking explanation of the fundamental values that God expects
us to incorporate into our lives, request or download now our free booklet,
The Ten Commandments.
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