The season is upon us. And I don’t mean fall; I mean the political season. If you are anything like me, you have been hiding from the headlines and quickly sorting the smear campaigns maxing out your mailbox. As much as I dislike our present political scene, the Lord used his timeless Word to offer timely truths my soul needed to remember today (and every tomorrow through November).

Stirred to Pray

In his first letter to his protege, Timothy, Paul didn’t avoid mentioning authority; rather, he urged Timothy to urge the people to pray for those in authority over them. He expected them to be stirred by the political landscape, but not stirred to agitation, anger, and slander. He expected them to be stirred to prayer.

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2: 1–4).

Paul expects God’s people to pray all the prayers for all the people, authorities included. Note that Paul spells out what he means by prayer. It’s not a little sideline prayer, it is the whole spectrum of prayer: supplication, intercession, and, gulp, even thanksgiving. The Greek word translated “high positions” literally means prominence or eminence (like a mountain peak that projects prominently into the skyline). Paul doesn’t give room for pretending that those in prominence don’t exist or wishing they didn’t. There isn’t a clause that excepts us from praying for those whom we don’t prefer. We are called to be stirred to pray for all in authority because we are expected to trust the God who is the ultimate authority. The motivation underlying these persistent prayers for those in political authority over us? It is pleasing in the sight of God. It shows off our trust in Him as the authority who appoints and removes kings and establishes boundaries (Daniel 2:21).

When it came to politics, Paul expected Christians to have bruised knees from much prayer and supplication; however, we more often evidence bruised egos. Paul expected Christian mouths to be full of prayers for political leaders; however, our mouths are more often known for slander and vitriol.

Settled by His Sovereignty

Paul’s had two paired desires for the church in the context of their political scene (which included crazed, heathen rulers who persecuted the church). He wanted them to corporately comport themselves with a “peaceful and quiet” life as those who were “godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 1:2).

The Greek words here offer insight into what Paul hoped the lives of believers would radiate. Eremos (translated peaceful) literally means tranquil, quiet, placid, free from unnecessary external disturbance. Hesuchios (translated quiet) means quieted, stilled, settled, composed. The exact opposite list (loud, raging, easily disturbed) more closely describes the state of my heart during the chaos of political elections. How can Paul expect us to be composed in the middle of the chaos all around? He expected that we would be settled by the sovereignty of God. Composed and quieted souls are the result of time spent in God’s presence, musing on his promises, remembering his power (Psalm 131).

The second pair of words Paul desired for the church was that their lives be marked by godliness and dignity. Eusebeia (translated godly) means piety, godliness, or devotion. The word connotes an inner heart response to God that shows itself as an outward reverence. Finally, semnotes (translated dignity) means gravity or seriousness. Paul did not give space for the church to approach political scenes with levity or light-heartedness (comme ci comme ca); rather, he expected that they would comport themselves, even in complex matters, with composure and a sense of God-enabled gravity.

We will not exhibit such quietness and piety, such peacefulness paired with gravity, unless we have spent much time in the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One who is both lion and lamb. When the political ads get loud, we need to make more space and time to quiet our hearts before the Blessed Controller of all things (1 Timothy 6: 15–16, Phillips translation).