America has a new president.

Yesterday, Joe Biden and his wife joined the exclusive club in American history of people who call 1600 Pennysvania Avenue home. I always like to think that no matter how intimidating or straight-laced a president might seem, they still put on their pajamas before climbing into bed – just like the rest of us. It reminds me that though they’ve been elected to one of the highest offices in the world, they are still human and have a sense of vulnerability – even if that side only comes out behind closed doors.

As an American, I have no choice but to accept Joe Biden as my President and Kamala Harris as my Vice President. We are blessed to live in a democracy where we are given a voice for the leaders in our communities and nations – and we should never overlook that privilege, even in the face of disappointment for some. I think of our brothers and sisters in China who had no voice when Xi-JinPing removed term limits, thus cementing his job security for as long as he wants to be in power. Or their neighbors in Hong Kong – who are watching helplessly as their rights and independence are being stripped away by China’s tyrannical leadership.

We are blessed as Americans that our government is not designed to give one single person absolute power over the people – we have a system of checks and balances, not just at the federal level – but the state level as well. We have a Constitution that has governed us from our inception as nation – that has kept us free from the tyranny that has plagued many countries all over the world. This is something all Americans should be thankful for, even if Joe taking his pledge yesterday was not the outcome that you personally wanted.

As an American, I will now take to praying for Joe Biden as my president – because his success as a president equals our success as a nation. I’m reminded of the saying in boxing “it takes twice as much energy to swing and miss as it does to swing and hit your target.” Fretting aloud over government policies and politicians is often a swing and miss that doesn’t lead to much practical change in my heart, community, or government. Praying for the President will always hit the bullseye – as no single prayer is ever wasted in God’s kingdom.

If I may step out and say something daring here, I hope you will hear me out. I do believe the last 4-5 years in America has been tremendously damaging to our Christian witness – though I don’t think all (or even most) of the blame rests on Trump. Some of my liberal friends see Donald Trump as enemy #1, while other conservative friends would undoubtedly put the media in that seat. But Scripture warns us not to let humans become a mascot for the crafty work of Satan (Ephesians 6) – and what has Satan’s craft been these last 5 years?

DISTRACTION.

The spectacle of Donald Trump’s presidency has been so overwhelmingly distracting that it was easy for him to become an idol for both parties. Liberal energy was exhausted with media criticism, vitriol, and hope for impeachment while many conservative Christians spent precious God-given time defending and promoting the president, instead of Christ.

A few weeks ago my husband and I were on a drive and were talking about a Bible class we are hoping to teach some time in the next year. We got hung up in a theological debate and spent the next hour hashing out how we view God in this particular way. At the end of the drive, we looked at each other and asked “When was the last time we spent an hour talking about God?”

It was a convicting realization for us and helped us to see just how much time we were wasting talking about hot-off-the-press articles we saw online or the latest thing Trump or AOC or some popular political figure was saying.

When we think of the hours we have devoted to politics and the media in the last 5 years (I’m sure for the average person it is literally hundreds), what do we have to show for it? Did anyone change their vote because of our incessant gabbing and sharing? Have we accomplished our political means with our voices? I’ll let you answer for yourself, but for me I can say: no.

Can you even imagine if we had used a fraction of that time praying for and serving our neighbors and asking God to use us in seeing His Kingdom come alive around us?

Lately I’ve been challenged by Paul’s call in Philippians 2:14:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…

There is no doubt we are living in a crooked and depraved generation. But our call is not to curse the darkness – that is most certainly a swing and miss. Our call is to hold out the word of life, which is Jesus Christ – the only hope humanity has. It’s time for his people to refocus, and use their torches to light, rather than burn.

Give your prayers to Joe Biden, and little more. God is ready to work in you and put you to work – focus your eyes on Him.