How to Keep an Eternal Perspective This Election Season

The fear. The uncertainty. The emotionally-charged arguments on all sides.

We’re talking about election season, when people of all political persuasions make it sound like doomsday is fast approaching.

Amid all the political chaos and confusion, how can you keep your eyes on God? How can you prevent yourself from getting swept up in the current of fear? How can you live under the recognition that God, not politics, is your future?

Here are some rhythms of life that will help remind you to keep an eternal perspective in these uncertain times.

1. Make time for your personal relationship with God

While political parties shift and elected officials come and go, our sense of stability and safety is ultimately found not in politics but in a Person—God Himself. We can find peace, hope, and rest in our relationship with Him.

But our relationship with God is precisely that… a relationship. And like any relationship, it needs to be cultivated.

Growing closer to God doesn’t “just happen,” any more than growing closer to our boyfriend/girlfriend or close friends “just happens” without spending time together.

That’s why it’s important to intentionally make time to cultivate the most important relationship in our lives. Spending time personally with God in the Bible and in prayer should be a top priority.

How can we make the time in our busy lives? Maybe we can get up a little earlier. Or maybe we can stay up a little later. Maybe we can cut back a bit on our YouTube intake. Whatever it looks like in the rhythm of your own life, make spending time with God a habit. (And if you need help knowing where to start with Bible study, Yarrow resources can help!)

Deepening your relationship with God will bring greater stability as you learn to rely on Him as your anchor in the turmoil of the world, rather than on politics… or anything else.

2. Throw yourself into service

With all our daily responsibilities, goals, and concerns, it’s easy to lose the forest for the trees. But if our focus is primarily on ourselves, that’s a surefire way to get caught up in the confusion of the world. Because when we’re thinking of ourselves, it’s so easy to dwell on what’s wrong in our lives (or what could go wrong in our lives).

But if our lives are invested in serving others, we’ll have a better perspective about what’s really important.

Philippians 2:3 (ESV) says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” This is a radical shift from the world’s philosophy—instead of being focused on ourselves and our feelings and our problems, we should be thinking about others as more important than us.

So throw yourself into the service of others. If you’re plugged into a local church, find ways to use your gifts and abilities to serve the people there. Think also about how you can serve the people in your workplace, your school, your family, your neighborhood, your apartment complex, or any other area of influence you have.

Serving isn’t something to “check off the list,” but a way of life. And it impacts the way you view life.

3. Be committed to your local church

God knew what He was doing when He gave us the local church.

He knew we needed the consistent preaching of Scripture and the community of other Christians so that we can truly thrive as followers of Christ.

The local church brings a sense of stability and accountability. It allows you to regularly receive the truths of Scripture, both from the leaders and from the organic relationships you form with the Christians around you. They’ll speak truth into your life, and you’ll speak truth into theirs.

This type of commitment is more than just attending church. Rather, it’s being actively involved in the life of that church. Sure, this investment in your church and in Christian community can be hard—but it’s worth it!

And in it all, your resolve to keep your focus on God, not on worldly fear or politics, will strengthen.

So don’t just go to church. Be the church.

What habits are you cultivating?

If there’s one word that could sum up how you can grow in your reliance on God for stability, it’s habits.

How can you be cultivating the habits of intentional time with God, service, and commitment to your local church in your life?

These habits will help you grow closer to God—and will help give you the stability you need as you rely on Him (not politics) for your future.

We’d love to help you on this journey—you can be rooted in Scripture and grow in Christ with our Yarrow Bible studies.

The Faithful Living series is a good place to start… check it out here.