Every year there are government elections of one sort or another, and they always leave me a little worn out.
Between the ads, the debates, the news reports, we are geared to start looking for and thinking of the worst in every candidate. I completely understand that to be informed voters, we need to be, well, informed. But after a while, I get weary of all the mean-spiritedness.
It seems like it carries over into how we treat not only the people running for local and national office but also how we treat the people around us. We think the worst of their intentions, their politics, their personal decisions—without any hint of love, mercy, or kindness.
We need to stop. The Holy Spirit wants to develop qualities in us—the Bible calls them fruit—and he does it by first renewing and transforming our minds. With the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we remember that we have been given the mind of Christ. His mind will change the way we think and change the way we think about the people around us. We stop seeing them as adversaries but, rather, as people he created, people he loves, people he wants to see in heaven. So instead of listening to the negative today, “brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
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About the Author
Linda Buxa
Linda Buxa is a freelance writer and editor and a regular blogger and contributing writer for Time of Grace. She is the author of Dig In! Family Devotions to Feed Your Faith, Made for Friendship, and Parenting by Prayer. Linda and her husband, Greg, have lived in Alaska, Washington D.C., California, and are now in Wisconsin. They have three pretty great kids who are all taller than she is.