The Ten Commandments for Christians on FaceBook and Twitter

In a very short period of time, social media websites like MySpace, FaceBook and Twitter have begun to change the way the world connects and socializes, and for Christians, the way we fellowship and even minister to others.

Tens of millions of users log into these networks daily. According to Wikipedia, FaceBook has over 132 million users and MySpace over 117 million. Twitter, one of my favorites, is only about two years old and already has well over three million users and it’s growing exponentially.

So how are Christians responding? In FaceBook, many groups have been created to reach and help Christians network. There are way too many to mention, but a few examples are;

• 100,000,000 Christians Worship God (over 700,000 members)
• Christian Bloggers Network
• 1,000,000 Christian Parents Raising Disciples For Christ
• FaceBook For Pastors
• Pastors and Ministry Leaders
• Culture Shapers on Digg

The number of Pastors who are now connecting with their congregations and communities through FaceBook and Twitter is growing rapidly. Whole congregations and groups within them are using these sites to increase communication, extend ministry efforts and even to plan events. Social networking has become a valuable social tool that is being used by ministries, churches, Christian authors and bloggers and individual Christians around the globe.

The purpose of this blog isn’t to challenge the validity of Christians using social networking sites. I believe that anyone who’s used them can instantly see how these tools can be tremendously beneficial. Nor am I here to decry the abuses of these tools. No matter how beneficial something is, some people will misuse it. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. What I’d like to do is sound a different alarm.

This is a blog to all Christians everywhere who are using social networking or who are looking into it and my message is simple; please look at your social networking strategies and methods through the lens of scripture and Christian character before you implement them.

Let me explain, when you approach a stranger on the street or a newcomer at your church, there are certain things that you do to make sure that you are perceived as a polite, considerate, nonthreatening individual. Most of us know how to do this because we’ve practiced face to face conversation in our homes and in public for years. Unfortunately, many Christians who dive into social networking don’t know how to do that same thing online. Why? Because although common sense, kindness and good manners are always necessary, the rules for approach and interaction are different in the online world and also different on each social networking site. Without this understanding, we can end up unknowingly offending others and making some or all of our efforts ineffectual.

I have observed and learned a few things through trial and error and by watching others more experienced than myself, and I would like to pass them on. Hopefully, my efforts will help more Christians be more effective and less abrasive while using social networking sites to reach and connect with others. Once you’ve read my tips and ideas, feel free to comment and add things that you’ve learned. When we’re Kingdom building, we can all work together and help each other.

The Ten Commandments For Social Networking Christians

1. Thou shalt not worship and/or social network on too many sites.

When I first started social networking (SN) I went and joined every SN site I heard of and/or read about, Amazon Connect, Xing, Linkedin, FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon and others. I would have joined even more but I ran out of room in my life.

Here’s what I learned, in order to do well on a SN site, you need to actually jump in, learn about the site, play by their rules and become part of the community. If you don’t, then to the people who are regulars on these sites, you’re like a complete stranger who’s walking through their neighborhood expecting attention without investing anything of yourself. At first you’ll be watched, as everyone politely waits for you to learn and get involved, but if you keep it up, you will be ignored and perhaps even resented. That does not reflect well on you as a Christian.

Here’s a suggestion. Google information about the different SN sites. There are a ton of blogs out there that will tell you what each site does, who uses it, how it’s good for networking, and what the best ways are to get involved and see results. Once you’ve done your homework, pick two or three that will work for you and start getting involved, learning and investing yourself in them.

I decided to focus on FaceBook and Twitter. I find them enjoyable and a great way to network with other Christians and to get exposure to my blogs. I’m also still involved in StumbleUpon, Amazon and Linkedin but only as supports for my FaceBook and Twitter efforts. Your plan and choices will probably be different than mine because what you do, what you want to accomplish, and what you will enjoy may all be different.

2. Thou shalt not make your mission an idol.

God has called us to make disciples and that’s about people. For God so loved the world that he gave… so that… Ever notice that John 3:16 puts ‘people’ first, ‘giving’ second, and ‘purpose’ third?

I’ve caught myself running into my social networks with one thing on my mind, get traffic to my blog, find parents to minister to etc etc, running headlong, ignoring people to supposedly accomplish God’s purpose. When I find myself doing that, I stop and get off my computer and pray. Not only should our hearts be right, but social networking is not nearly as effective if you don’t stop to connect with others, listen to them, talk to them, check out what they’re doing and show genuine interest in them. If you don’t demonstrate that you care, you will be seen by many as just another spammer and/or narcissist and your witness and efforts will be ineffective.

Here’s a suggestion, on a sticky note write, ‘People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care’ and stick it where you can see it while you’re on your computer. You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend, that’s impossible, but it doesn’t take much to stop, care and be interested. People first, giving second and purpose last.

3. Thou shalt not misuse the social networking sites (it gives God a bad rap).

This one is simple, play nice and play by the rules. Each SN site has rules about what you can and cannot do. Read the rules and stay within them. Others who follow the rules will think less of you for trying to bend them. Each site also has many unwritten rules or courtesies that have been developed over a period of time by it’s regular users. For example on Digg, you can Digg your own content but the regulars of Digg frown on it and may work to bury your content if you keep it up. Take it slowly at first and learn the rules. If you’re not sure about something ask, and when you’re told, do your best to fit in.

Having said that, SN sites are changing all the time because people change how they use them. Once you’ve been on a site for awhile and understand how it works, you may get creative ideas that work within the system and maximize your results. There’s nothing wrong with that, just be careful that others see it as a clever idea and not a way around the rules.

4. Thou shalt remember to relax and enjoy.

Remember, and this is important, social networking online is much the same as it is face to face and many of the same rules apply. For example, ‘All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!’ When someone looks at your contributions, status updates, tweets, posts, notes etc and see that they are all (or mostly all) about business or ministry or whatever your purpose is, you become dull and uninteresting. You’re also unwittingly telling everyone that you’re only here for self promotion. Not good. Relax, let your hair down and have fun on these sites as well. I have so much fun on Twitter, sometimes my wife has to remind me that I should be writing. Be real, relax, have fun, be social, when people get to know you a little better they’ll be more likely to be interested in what you do.

A word of caution. One of my twitter friends (@jplosier) wondered if I was going to talk about being vulnerable and sharing personal things on SN sites, so I will. You should never pretend to be someone that you’re not and you should always be honest and transparent. There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re having a grumpy day and asking others to pray. However, as a minister of the Gospel, if you are having serious struggles, you should have mentors or peers who you go to for help. Turn your computer off and go and talk with someone face to face.

5. Honor your Father & Mother by remembering that they taught you to be humble.

My friend and Marketing teacher, David G. Johnson once told me that the most powerful word in marketing is the word ‘YOU.’ The Bible teaches that we should not be boastful and that we should not be focused on ourselves. So the most important word in ministry is also ‘YOU.’

There is nothing that will turn others away quicker (in real life and online) than someone who is, or appears to be, stuck on themselves. I don’t believe that I’m stuck on me, but I believe I’ve come across that way online at times and it’s somewhat understandable. When you’re networking, you want people to know who you are and what you’ve accomplished. So you put it out there thinking that it’s innocent enough because your motivation is to build trust and therefore be able to help more people. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work and you come off as a braggart. (I know, I learned the hard way.)

Here’s a suggestion, put your bio on your website and/or on linkedin and let others find out what mighty things you’ve done when they’re interested and go looking. The quickest way to get people interested in you, is to be interested and focused on them, do that and eventually they’ll wonder who you are.

Also, if you just signed a book deal or a million dollar business contract and you simply must share the news, craft your announcement humbly. There’s a difference between these two tweets or updates: “My agent just signed a HUGE deal with Harper Collins for my new book!” or “Wow, I’m blown away by God’s grace, he’s letting me write another book.’ Take the humble road and if other’s are interested, they’ll press you for more details.

Oh, also remember that it’s not just your words that show others your humility. Any action you take online that gives people the impression that you think that you’re more important then they are may result in them thinking that you are stuck on yourself. For example, if you use Twitter and someone follows you, follow them back. Having a lot of people following you while you’re only following a few doesn’t make you look important, it makes you look stuck on yourself. Jesus was the greatest person who ever lived. God in the flesh, and our example. He never once turned anyone away who honestly sought him out.

Unless someone is obviously a spammer, or is trying to peddle pornography or something like that, follow them, befriend them, connect with them, return their messages, say hi. It doesn’t take much but it tells everyone that you care and that you believe that we’re all equal in God’s eyes. (And yes, I know that Jesus kept twelve close, seventy not as close and then the larger group of disciples a little less connected. However for the most part, SN is not about your closest group of friends, they’re the ones you see off-line.)

An exception to this is if you’re setting up a network for the purpose of communicating with your church or ministry group only. If this is the case and if the SN site allows it, ‘close’ the group (or spell it out in the bio line if you’re on Twitter) so others understand that it’s for a limited group and don’t think that you have an ego problem.

6. Thou shalt not try to murder trolls.

According to my son (who has to catch me up with the lingo from time to time) the word ‘troll’ used in an online context refers to someone who enters websites, forums or SN conversations with the sole intent of stirring up trouble, being belligerent and turning polite conversations into arguments.

Many times Christians get drawn into conversations with these people thinking that they can reach out to them and change their minds. Unfortunately, the more you enter into the conversation, the ruder and more opinionated the person gets. Finally, the Christian gets so agitated that they often become rude and/or condescending themselves. I’ve witnessed this many times and the testimony of it is not good.

Thus the saying, ‘Don’t feed the trolls’ was popularized. Which means don’t let them draw you in to the argument because they feed off controversy and their goal is to start a fight. Peter said that we are to be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us, but I think Peter was talking about sincere questions, not the rhetorical and adversarial ones that are posed by trolls.

If someone is sincere and interested, and even argues with an openness, and you have a Bible based answer, then engage. However, if you detect a belligerent person seeking a fight, be polite but disengage. One more point here, if you’re not ready and prepared (studied) to answer a question, just say so. Too many online Christians engage the trolls and they don’t even know how to answer the question or defend their Faith. The troll scores another point.

7. Thou shalt not commit social guffaws.

This one is simple, remember you’re an online representative for Jesus. Be mannerly, be polite, be thoughtful and be appropriate. Do not engage in any conversation with anyone that your Pastor couldn’t listen to and approve of. If a conversation with someone from the opposite sex starts to go the wrong way, politely end it.

8. Thou shalt not steal the ideas and/or content of others.

Another simple one, we who preach ‘though shalt not steal’ should not be stealing online. If you use someone else’s content, do it with permission and if necessary, with payment and always with proper credit. Let me push it a little further. An online friend of mine, Deb Burton (@debburton on twitter), did an awesome blog where she turned the 10 commandments on their head and wrote them in a positive way, ‘Thou shalt…’ instead of ‘Thou shalt not…’ So I’ll borrow her inspiration (with proper credit) and say, ‘Thou shalt respect the property, ideas and content of others and treat them in a way that you would like your stuff to be treated and also give honor where honor’s due.

9. Thou shalt not attempt to mislead others, even by omission.

Honesty is the best policy. Please, please be upfront about your mission and purpose with everyone. Whatever you’re doing, for whatever purpose, admit it right up front. If your purpose is to sell something, say so. If you’re looking for clients, say so. If you want people to read your blog, ask them to. You can still have fun and connect with people, but if you’ve been upfront about your purpose from the beginning, then when people get to know you and they need the service you supply, they’ll consider using you. So relax and have fun, truly care and be social but be completely upfront about your purpose.

10. Thou shalt not covet the sites, talents and traffic of others.

If when you read someone else’s material, or you look at their website idea, you start to feel like you wish you had come up with it yourself, stop. Or if look at their success and wish…, again stop yourself. Be glad for what God has given them.

If you want people to share your material with others, spend the time doing the same for them. If you have a share button on your site, I hope that you know how to use it on the sites of others. When someone else posts or Twitters a link to their post, go take a look and if you like it, comment and share it and Stumble it. If you’re not on StumbleUpon, I highly recommend it. It’s a great way to share content and drive traffic to your site and the sites of others. Unlike Digg, they have Christian categories.

Promoting someone else’s material can be hard if that ‘someone else’ is doing the same thing that you’re doing. The competition factor in our market driven society leads us all to hope that we’re the only ones doing our particular thing online for God, or that we’re somehow doing it better than everyone else. Ask yourself though, do you really want that pressure? I believe God has called me to help Christian parents pass their Faith on to their kids. If I was the only one God called to do that in my generation then I should expect God to hold me, and me alone, accountable for whether it gets done or not, worldwide. Ouch!

God has called many people to the same task and I want to work with them, help them, and promote their work and ideas. We aren’t supposed to be building our little kingdoms. We’re called to work together to build His.

Thank you for reading and considering my musings. If you’d like to connect with me on any of the following networks, I’d count it a privilege.

• Twitter (Rick Osborne)
• Twitter (ParentingTwits)
• FaceBook
• Linkedin
• StumbleUpon

Also, if you’d like to join the FaceBook groups I’m involved with, I’d love to see you there.

• 1,000,000 Christian Parents Raising Disciples For Christ
• Culture Shapers On Digg
• Christian Leaders On Twitter

If you’d like to network with other Christians, please leave a comment on this blog and add your urls (please cut and paste from your address bar so that the link is live) for each of the SN sites that you’re on and I’ll post them for others who want to network as well.

Please follow these four simple steps:

Step 1 If you’d like to Network with me, add me to the networks we have in common.

Step 2 Look at the previous comments to this post and add the others (who have requested to network) to your social networking sites (that way everyone will end up following everyone else).

Step 3 Cut and paste the urls from the address bars of your SN bios or home pages and list them in a comment to this blog for others to follow.

Step 4 Follow the 10 Commandments for SN Christian.

NHL Coalition (Canadian Political humor)

Earlier today, a friend of mine forwarded the following email to me. Unfortunately, no author is credited and I could not find out who wrote it even though I’ve searched. If you know who wrote this please let me know because I’d like to credit them and give them a big hug! A perfect piece of parody and Canadian political commentary using the great Canadian sport, Hockey. It’s wonderful!

If you don’t know what’s going on in Canadian politics right now, no matter where you’re from you should get caught up. It’s one of the most bizarre political stories I’ve ever heard. For those of you who know what’s going on, enjoy this.

NHL Coalition The Detroit Redwings technically won the 2008 Stanley Cup, but the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars have formed a coalition demanding a three way ownership of the league title. Rational for their decision revolves around their total combined scoring in the 2008 Semi-Finals, their total share of season ticket holders versus the Detroit Redwings and their horror at discovering the Detroit Redwings are using a more cost effective and efficient but non-union made Silver polish to keep the Stanley Cup gleaming.

The three teams are being assisted in their bid to overturn the traditional results by members of the Quebec Hockey League who have no real interest in the success of the NHL in general but sense an opportunity to demand Zambonis and other critical equipment be manufactured in Quebec. Player representatives, Team Owners and Nike are expected to submit their proposals to Don Cherry in the next few days. Fans and ticket holders are neither being asked or allowed a voice in the final decision.

For help with teaching your children about their Faith, check out Teaching Your Child to Pray.

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(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Dad)

The Economy and the Harvest

How many times have you heard a sermon framed around Jesus’ comments about the harvest? The ones I’ve heard usually come around to making the point that we should be involved in the harvest, tell everybody around us, all the time, about Jesus.

I’d like to ask you to read on as I look at this section of scripture more closely because I believe that it not only generally applies to all times, but it specifically applies to today as our world goes through a difficult financial time.

Matthew, Luke and John all record Jesus’ words about the Lord of the Harvest, but they all put them in a slightly different context. It’s likely that Jesus talked to his disciples about this more than once. I’d like to start with Matthew’s account.

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:35 – 38)

Notice that before Jesus said that the harvest (of people) was plentiful, the scripture gives us a glimpse of what he was thinking and why he said what he did. He saw the crowds and their situation, that they were harassed and helpless, and he had compassion on them. Jesus said the harvest was plentiful because of the state that the people of his time were in.

Let’s take a look at what the people who Jesus was looking at were going through. I’m not a historian but it doesn’t take much research to come up with a general picture. Not only were the people of Palestine under the heel of the Roman Empire, they were also suffering financially for it. First of all, the reason why tax collectors were hated was because the Roman empire was taxing the people beyond their means to pay. Add on top of that the taxes that Herod was inflicting on the people and the burden was unbearable.

Next, let’s look at loans and interest. The Jewish law limited interest by outlining when it could and could not be charged and how much could be charged. However, the Romans had no such laws and many of the Jewish people had left God’s laws behind in favor of greater profits. Some accounts say that interest rates were as high as 50%.

Here’s what was happening. The Romans demanded that their taxes be paid with money. Many of those who lived in this agrarian society didn’t have money, so they had to borrow it. The only way they could borrow money was to take out a mortgage on their property. Between rising taxes and rising interest rates, the property owners would end up in foreclosure and lose their land. As the rich got more and more land through economies of scale and the use of slaves to work their vast farms, they prospered and sent more and more families off their lands. Because those foreclosed on had no trade and slave labor was so cheap, many became destitute.

The system made the rich, richer – and the poor, poorer. The poorer you got, the more you needed loans and the higher the rate of interest you were charged. So financial devastation started due to ill-advised loans at high interest rates resulting in foreclosures in a system that favored the rich. Sound familiar?

Jesus saw that many of the people who flocked to him were sick, oppressed, financially devastated and in bad need of God’s love and intervention. That’s when he concluded that the fields were ready for harvest. Remember, it’s God’s goodness that leads us to repentance. Jesus knew (as he outlined in the story of the prodigal son) that many people don’t look up until they come to the end of their rope. When they do, God is there ready to show them his love (Jesus had compassion on them) and meet them where they are.

I believe that we are now in a time where again, the fields are getting white and ready for harvest. Although financial difficulties aren’t pleasant, we as Christians know that if we trust God, he’ll meet our needs. So should we be spending our time complaining about the times, or should we be praying that the Lord of the harvest send workers into the harvest?

In John 4, we find Jesus also talking about the harvest. He’s just finished talking to the woman at the well and is waiting for her return. He probably knows that she’s about to lead the whole village out to see him. The disciples offer him something to eat and he refuses saying, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” Then he went on to talk about the harvest.

Was Jesus saying that when we’re doing God’s will, we don’t need to eat? No, I believe that he was contrasting a physical harvest to a spiritual one and telling us that the spiritual one is of far greater importance. If we have to tighten our belts and learn to rely on God a little more for the sake of a spiritual harvest, it’s well worth it.

I know I’ve blogged on for a bit, but stick with me a little further. If we are in, or going into a time of harvest as I believe, what do we need to do besides pray? Let me return to those sermons we hear so often on Jesus’ words about the harvest.

It’s pointed out to us that Jesus said ‘pray for more workers’, then he immediately sent the ones he was talking to out to work. The sermon’s conclusion, when you pray, be willing to be sent. However, let’s go a little deeper. Why would Jesus tell them to pray and then instruct them to go? Why not just send them? They probably didn’t even have time to pray before he sent them.

I think Jesus did this as a reminder to them and to us that we are not in charge of the harvest. He is the Lord of the harvest and he is in charge of the times. He is the one who prepares the harvest and directs the workers. We are to pray that THE LORD SENDS workers into HIS harvest. That’s the emphasis.

We of course can gear up to help the poor and reach out to the hurting. We’ve been given those basic tasks. But more importantly, we need to pray and ask the Lord to send the workers that he needs to send, to do what he knows needs to be done, to reach those he knows are ready, in this time. Then like the disciples, we need to wait on our instructions and see what he wants us to do. Don’t worry about how you’ll get by, he’ll meet your needs. Don’t worry about how you’ll get it done, he empowered his disciples and sent them out with nothing, and don’t worry about how he’ll direct you. If you’re open to his direction and praying about the harvest, he’ll find a way to show you what to do. You may even already know.

And remember, as you go, the Gospel isn’t about populating our churches. It’s about God reaching out in love, wanting to adopt the lost and care for those who are hurting. We bring them to church so that they’re close enough to receive God’s love and help through us.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

For help with teaching your children about their Faith, check out Teaching Your Child to Pray.

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(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Dad)

Where on the web is Rick Osborne

I’d taken my three kids to visit the West Edmonton mall and I had been checked in for less than an hour when the phone rang. This was strange because I wasn’t expecting a call but apparently it was my mother.

After saying hello and identifying herself as my Mom, she went on to talk (at some length) about the plans for the day. Since I know my Mother’s voice and that this lady was not her, when I could squeeze a word in, I tried to gently break the news. At first she thought that I was teasing her and kept rambling on. When I finally convinced her that she hadn’t given birth to me, I asked her how she got my room number.

Apparently her son, another Rick Osborne (same spelling) had also checked in that morning also with three kids into the same type of room that we had. The front desk had mixed us up. That’s when I knew. When the mother’s of all of the MANY Rick Osborne’s out there started mixing us up, I’d have to work at bringing clarity.

My quest for keeping the Rick Osborne confusion at bay became more intense as herds, flocks, gaggles (whatever you call packs of Rick Osbornes) started going online. So let me get started fighting for clarity.

My real name is actually Richard but I’ve gone by Rick all of my life and my last name is spelled Osborne, not Osborn, not Osbourn and not Osbourne (sorry, no relation to Ozzy.)

Yes, I’m THAT Rick Osborne.

• I’m not the other Rick Osborne who apparently sounds just like me and frequents the West Edmonton mall.
• I’m not the Rick Osborne found at rickosborne.com, trust me he’s a different guy.
• I’m not the Rick Osborne at rickosborne.ca (coming soon apparently)
• or rickosborne.org (amusing blog though)
• or even the one at rickosborne.net (voice and piano teacher and fellow Christian)

I’m the Rick Osborne here at rick-osborne.com.

• I’m not the car salesman;
• the real estate company owner;
• the Chiropractor;
• the professor;
• the coach;
• the web programmer;
• the project manager;
• or the Rick Osborne who speaks to teens about drugs, violence and gangs. (You can find that Rick Osborne at truthforteens.com.)

I’m not those Rick Osborne’s.

I’m the Rick Osborne that has been a Christian Author and speaker for the last twenty-five years. I’ve authored, coauthored and/or produced over 200 books and resources designed to help Christian parents pass their Faith on to their kids. I’m not the Rick Osborne who authored:

• Philosophy for Beginners
• The Penguin Guide to Retirement Hotspots
• The Anti-Estrogenic Diet
• The Pond Pro’s Guide to Internet Marketing
• Operation Pull Your Own Weight
• or the Guide to new DoD subcontracting incentives

Those were all written by Rick Osbornes who spell their last name differently. Not by Rick Osborne.

Speaking of the Rick Osborne’s who spell their last name differently, you’ll find Rick Osborn at RickOsborn.com (Osborn without the ‘e’). He’s a Life and fitness coach, counselor and minister and although I don’t know him well, we follow each other on Twitter. (Oh, he is the Rick Osborne who wrote ‘The Anti-Estrogenic Diet.’)

Oh yeah, I am also not either of the two Richard Osbornes mentioned in the mixed up story ‘Will the Real Richard Osborne Please Stand Up (http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2002/08/19/tidbits.html). Although I could probably find a Kingdom use for the two million dollars.

So to all the mother’s of Rick Osborne’s out there, I hope that clears things up.

As a side note, I will say that my brother Ryan Johnson, my friend and fellow author Tim Smith, and my friend and business associate David Johnson, can’t figure out what I’m whining about. They think my name is radically unique.

If you’re a Rick Osborne and I’ve missed you, please add any clarifying comment that you can think of.

Thanks!
Rick Osborne

What the Bible says about your vote

How should a Christian vote? It seems to me that, with very few exceptions, there are Christians backing each and every political party and asking others to do so along side them. There are Christians who align themselves with an issue or issues instead of a party. They believe that these issues are important to their Faith and therefore more important then their allegiance to a certain politician or political group. The problem here is that Christians seem to differ greatly in their opinions about which issues should be seen as paramount and also on what the stand on these issues should be. To top it all off there are Christians who believe that we shouldn’t get involved in politics at all. In short, Christians are all over the place regarding politics and how we should vote and in many cases are even opposing one another.

Please allow me to humbly throw my hat into the proverbial ring. However, instead of siding with any party or issue I would like to take a look at what God’s Word says about our vote. There are no scriptures that deal directly with government as we know it, democracy, voting etc. but there are teachings about our response to and responsibilities towards governments that can be applied to our vote today.

Let’s take a look at one of the primary New Testament portions of scripture that deals with church and government, 1 Timothy 2:1 – 4.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1 – 4)

I don’t know about you but for years every time I read these verses or heard them preached the words “that we might live peaceful and quiet lives” always bothered me. Didn’t Jesus tell us that we are not to put the things of this life first but to put God’s Kingdom first? Didn’t he tell us that one of the first things we are to pray about is for his Kingdom and also that his will would be done on Earth? Isn’t it true that pretty much all of the New Testament writers and Jesus himself have called us to be witnesses for the Gospel and to endure persecution for doing so? Didn’t Paul, who wrote the above words to Timothy (and us) teach that we are to FIGHT the good fight, run the race to win the heavenly prize, to boldly share our Faith and also to expect persecution?

Perhaps I was misunderstanding the intent of Paul’s words to Timothy because the Bible does not contradict itself. The problem was that I wasn’t trying to understand Paul’s words in their context.

Please allow me to take the liberty of adding some commentary to Paul’s word’s so that I can get right to my point. Here’s what I now believe Paul to be saying in these verses, my words in parenthesis:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone (all people everywhere)–(Also) for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness (So that we can get on with growing in Christ, sharing the Gospel with everyone, and expanding God’s Kingdom everywhere, as unimpeded by Kings and governments as possible.) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (And praying for authorities will help us accomplish this.)

When Paul penned these words the church was being persecuted everywhere. Nero was governing Rome and not too long after these words were written Nero put Paul to death. Paul was letting Timothy and the Church, then and now, know that we should pray for the gospel to be spread to everyone everywhere and that we should pray for the governments everywhere because doing so can help us get the job done. The Christians of that day easily understood Paul’s words because they were attempting to follow the Gospel’s mandates and they were being persecuted and stalled at every turn.

Our focus is to be on the spreading of the Gospel not a quiet and peaceful life. We need the governments to not oppose us and perhaps even cooperate with us so that we can use the resulting peace and quiet to get on with our calling.

So how does this relate to politics, democracies and our votes as Christians today? Well in my estimation understanding Paul’s intent in these verses makes it simple. We are to stick with our Kingdom first purpose and pray for governments to not hinder us and perhaps even help us. Since in a democracy we have a say or a vote, our vote should mirror our purpose and prayer. Simply put we should vote for the person, party government etc who (after prayer and consideration) we believe is most likely to not hinder but to promote our God given purpose, to grow as Christians, to spread the Gospel and to expand God’s Kingdom.

Any vote for any other purpose by a Christian, say for the economy, more tax breaks, more money in our pockets is a misguided vote for a peaceful and quiet life for the sake of personal comfort.

It’s recorded six times in the Gospels that Jesus said that those who deny their lives for the sake of the Gospel will find their lives, but that those who put their lives first will lose them. Let your vote count, vote for those who will be more likely to support God’s agenda for this planet.

I appreciate and welcome your comments.

For help with teaching your children about their Faith, check out The Singing Bible.

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(RICK OSBORNE / Christian Author, Speaker & Dad)

If Jesus Was A Blogger

One of the criticisms leveled at bloggers, in the earlier days of weblogs, was that it seemed that bloggers blogged a lot about blogging.

I must admit that I’ve read many blogs about blogging but I think this is completely understandable. Carpenters love their tools and artists love their brushes. When people in the same discipline gather together, they tend to talk as much or more about their tools and techniques as they do about their latest project.

Blogging is relatively new and those embracing it are excited about learning from each other and getting better at it.

So to support my fellow bloggers and show my enthusiasm for this new and wonderful craft, this is my one blog about blogging.

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