When Christians Think Their Nation Is Wasting Away

Whether you live in the United States or another country, you might sometimes look at the choices of your fellow citizens and feel discouraged.

When you see election results or natural disasters, you might wonder: Is this God’s punishment on a wicked nation? While that is possible—since no one can fully know the mind of God—it is also possible that God is accomplishing other, deeper purposes.

We must remember that God’s plans are far bigger than political outcomes.

Does God Rule Over Nations?

I believe that God rules in the kingdoms of men. However, we must be careful when interpreting events. While a natural disaster might be a wake-up call to repentance, it could also simply be the result of the natural physical laws of our planet. (I discussed this further in my series on God and suffering, especially in the second article).

Recently, a question from my young friend Dana about moral decline in the United States got me thinking. She asked: Could God allow a nation to elect leaders who encourage ungodly practices?

If we believe God is in control, how do we make sense of a country choosing a path of wickedness? Here are three ways to look at the situation:

• Exposing the Limits of Human Wisdom: A preacher friend once suggested that if a great nation falls, it demonstrates the foolishness of building a society on humanistic (focusing on human agency rather than divine guidance) wisdom. When a nation builds on a foundation that ignores God’s Word, it eventually becomes a “Tower of Babel.” I love history, especially the founding of America. Yet, despite the founders’ frequent references to God and providence (God’s protective care and guidance), the American Revolution was heavily influenced by Enlightenment humanism. When a nation’s citizens embrace selfish desires rather than the fruit of the Spirit, putting their trust in “chariots and horses” (Psalm 20:7), it will inevitably weaken from within. This decline is a natural consequence of ignoring God’s moral order (Proverbs 5:21-23).

• Creating Opportunities for the Gospel: As a nation becomes more immoral, it can actually create a hunger for the truth. People often begin searching for light only after they have wandered deep into the darkness. In Luke 7:36-50, it was the immoral woman who recognized her brokenness and sought Jesus with a sorrowful heart. Simon the Pharisee was just as spiritually lost, but he didn’t realize his danger because his sins were respectable. Sometimes, God allows people to experience the emptiness of wickedness so that they will realize their need for salvation.

• Shifting Our Focus Back to the Mission: Political decline reminds Christians that God’s Kingdom cannot be built through worldly governments or legislation. While we should speak out against ungodly laws, we should not expect secular governments to legislate like the church. Our primary mission is not to change laws, but to share the gospel with our neighbors. When governments permit sinful behaviors, it often backfires. People eventually realize that these lifestyles do not bring peace or joy, which drives them back to God.

Our True Citizenship

Regardless of whether our earthly nation declines or experiences a great spiritual revival, Christians belong to a heavenly kingdom.

Earthly empires rise and fall, but we can take courage knowing that our true home and our Kingdom will stand forever.