“It is not merely for today; but for all time to come that we should perpetuate for our children’s children this great and free government, which we have enjoyed all our lives.”
President Abraham Lincoln
Three weeks from now, our country will just have completed the election for our president and other elected officials. There’s a lot of political talk in the air and even though kids may not be interested in politics, they’re definitely hearing about it. Because of advertising, kids are exposed to political ads when they watch TV, YouTube or play certain online games. My kids even have some of the ads memorized!
These next few weeks are a great time to teach our kids about the election process and why it’s our civic responsibility to vote. We can teach them about the history of our political system and the various parties. We can teach them about past presidents and what they’re known for. We can talk about how to live out our faith through our vote.
We’ve also talked with our kids about how to be independent thinkers and the importance of healthy skepticism and research. They know the candidates and party we as their parents normally vote for, but we encourage them to have their own opinions. When they come of age, we want them to vote based on their convictions and political opinions.
With so much division and fighting between parties (and other groups) going on right now, another important conversation point is how we treat others who vote differently or have opposing beliefs.
As Christians, one of our greatest opportunities to show God’s love will come after the ballots are counted and the winners announced.
- Do we place our hope in man or God?
- Psalm 20:7 NIV: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
- Do we show God’s love through our words and actions?
- 1 John 3:18 NLT: “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”
- Do we live at peace with everyone?
- Ephesians 4:13 NIV: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
I hope these ideas give you great conversation starters for your family in this election season. Whichever way the election turns out, we know where our true hope is found and His name is Jesus!