It can seem obvious for young Christians to consider a calling to lead worship or be a youth pastor or get involved in a missions, but politics has less of an appeal. However, one pastor is hoping they will reconsider.
Westside Christian Fellowship Pastor Shane Idleman believes God calls select Christians to join the political arena but when he asked younger Christians why they avoid politics, he got some interesting answers.
The first is the belief that Christians are "always against something" because they do not condone abortion and gay marriage. The youth of today don't like the burden of being villified for their beliefs, so they'd rather not take on a leadership role in this arena.
"Christians are not magnifying certain issues at the expense of others; we are underscoring the enormous importance of them. All issues cannot be equal. If everything is a priority, then nothing is," he wrote in an article for Charisma News.
Idleman said that young people tend to believe politics is offensive and divisive. Because of this, they'd rather not get their hands dirty by getting involved.
But he is strongly encouraging Christians to reconsider.
"We don't have to abandon our ethics or compromise our principles to be involved in politics — what good is salt left in the shaker, or a light that is hidden? 'Politics' is not a bad word. In simple terms, politics refers to governing or leading a group of people," he explained. "Politics won't save America, but in order to implement change, honor God and help others, we must take action; hence the political process."
Idleman has found that some young people even believe that the Gospel does not allow for politics, and it's not the mission of God's people to get involved in something so 'secular'. But Idleman argued that God calls on His children to confront, confess and turn from sin, and they cannot turn a blind eye towards political hot buttons.
"Why would God ordain a government such as ours in America and not ask us to be involved?" he questioned. "Although my primary calling is preaching, I thank God for Christians who are involved and who influence America's political climate. I wish that there were more."
Aside from Idleman, Billy Graham's son Franklin is also encouraging Christians to dip their toes in politics, according to USA Today. He said that Christians should run for office because religious views and beliefs are constantly being attacked, and they need godly men and women to protect America's moral compass from crumbling.
"The only hope for our country is God, not the Republican Party, not the Democratic Party," he said. "I wanted to encourage people to pray and vote, to encourage Christians to run for office."
