An Optimist's Guide to the Election

I consider myself to be an optimist. Not a naive optimist who wallows in the bliss of ignorance. Nor a Pollyanna optimist who finds a needle of gladness in a haystack of misery. But rather I strive for a principled optimism that is based on objective reality. In fact is based on the most objectively real thing in existence - the nature and character of God. This isn't about glass half full but about cup runth over.

Like me, you may not be happy with the way the election turned out. However, I still think there are reasons to be glad.

1. We mustn't forget that the presidential race wasn't the only issue last night. I'm very delighted to now be constituent of Tom Latham. Boswell has been representing my district (mostly badly) since before I was born and it's high time we got him out of there. Also, I couldn't be more glad that Steve King beat Christie "Seven Layer Salad" Vilsack. I have no doubt that he'll continue to serve Iowa well.

2. Much to the utopian's dismay, politics is a pendulum. It always swings back and forth. Therefore, we shouldn't get too gloomy when it happens to be on the backswing. I doubt that someone as liberal as Obama could have been elected had we not had eight years of Bush. Likewise, I think we stand a fairly good chance of getting someone more conservative than Romney elected in four years. Sure the next four year will likely be rough, but it's not the final act.

3. And here's the big one. Jesus is still on the throne and the election didn't faze Him one bit. He's still directing the king's heart like channels of water (Proverbs 21:1). We already know how this story ends. Jesus wins and we with Him. The courts of heaven still judge the rulers of men and shall remove the tyrants from power and give dominion to the saints. (Daniel 7:26-27). Obama will rule for another four years. We shall rule with Christ forever.

So don't fret. Don't despair. Praise God that He is who He is.