“Who is that? They’re not being very nice,” my five-year-old son asked as he pointed at the TV.

“Well, son, one of them will be the future president of the United States,” I said reluctantly. 

“You shouldn’t vote for them. They are mean,” he said and then bolted outside to play.

It seemed simple enough to the eyes and ears of a child, but politics are complex. As parents, we have an obligation to raise up a child in the way they should go so that they do not drift far from it. There may be no greater time in the history of our country to give special attention to educating our children on the historical foundation of our country and their responsibility as believers to make wise political choices. There are a few key principles about politics that parents should make sure their children know.

Obey Governing Authorities – Romans 13:1

Romans 13 instructs us that God establishes authorities, and we are subject to them. This does not always mean that authorities are godly, but we have an obligation to obey unless the laws are blatantly opposed to God.  

Morality Transcends Majority – Jeremiah 17:9

God defines morality, not the majority. Democracy works when the majority live by the morality set by God. However, an unregenerate heart is wicked and deceitful. In a democracy absent from God, the majority will vote in lawmakers who will establish laws that may be the opposite of what God desires. Democracy void of a Christ-centered majority will eventually crumble. Children must fact-check morality from the Scripture, not the beliefs of the majority.

In God We trust, Not Government – Psalm 20:7

Our security is in God, not the armies of our government. Psalm 20:7 teaches us that we should not trust in chariots and horses but in the name of the Lord. God is in control, not governments. Children should learn to trust in God, not in man.

Pray for Your Leaders – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Paul instructs Timothy to pray for kings and those in authority, not post degrading social media posts of them. Children hear their parents spew insults about their leaders and are confused when teachers teach them to be nice to one another. When was the last time your children heard you pray for a leader whose policies you despise?

Be the godly leaders to your children that you hope to see in the White House. Maybe if we all did that, we could transform our country in a generation. 

This article was originally featured in the October 2024 edition of The Baptist Courier.