8th Graders on Obama

I have my 8th graders first thing every morning, and when I got to school this morning, I heard snatches of comments like, "We're all going to die!" and "It's the end of the world!" (and some worse). I was prepared for that; as I watched some of the exit polls come in last night, I was thinking about that very group and how worked up they've been and I knew would be after the election results.

Here's what Vince and I discussed and I shared with them, in case anyone out there is also freaking out and/or cares:

• God is not surprised by Obama's victory....in fact, He allowed it, and He has good reasons (Romans 13:1-2)
• God is in control...always has been, always will be
• God commands that we obey our leaders and submit to them (He doesn't say "only if you agree with them")
• We need to pray for our new president

The last thing I told them comes from 1 Samuel, which I've been "coincidentally" reading in the morning. I'm right around the part where Israel asks for a king, and God gives them what they want even though they're rejecting Him in the process. In 1 Samuel 12:13-15 it says, "Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers."

Do you see how it says the responsibility for right choices and holy living is up to US, not our leaders? Regardless of whether or not we're happy with the person in office, we have a responsibility to keep God's commands. That's all we can be responsible for, and God tells us not to worry about the rest.