Politicians don’t control the world, Jesus does

I was abroad this past week to organize a conference in the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia. Attending the event was a group of indigenous men from the Guajira region, near Colombia’s border with Venezuela. Instead of Spanish, they speak a language called Wayunaiki.

Residents of the Guajira region, known as the Wayuu people, are poor and struggle to get an education. Yet the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully in this remote area, a place most of us have never heard of.

One of the Wayuu men, Leader Espinayu, told me that the Bible was translated into Wayunaiki about 10 years ago. Today, Leader is busy evangelizing and planting churches among his people. When I met him last Saturday, he proudly showed me a copy of the Bible in his language and read John 3:16.

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The verse says: “Anuu sukuaippa saalii wayuu sainküin mmakat süpüshua nüpüla chi Maleiwakai: Naapüin chi Nüchonkai waaꞌu, chi waneeshikai Nüchoin. Niasaꞌa chi eekai nünoujain nünain, eeꞌiranajaweerü naaꞌin nütüma Maleiwa. Nnojoleechi amüloulin süchikijee ouktaa, eejeechi nümaa Maleiwa süpüla kaꞌikat süpüshua.”

I wiped away my tears as I heard these strange-sounding words. It overwhelmed me to think that God loved this remote place on the coast of South America so much that He sent missionaries to an obscure tribe of people who spoke this rare language. (Only 400,000 people speak Wayunaiki.) Today, many of the Wayuu Indians have come to believe in Jesus.

After talking to my Guajira friends, I checked my news feed and saw multiple stories about the opening day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Few people in coastal Colombia are tuned into major news networks, and certainly fewer Wayuus have heard of Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.

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It reminded me that the United States is not the center of the universe. And I take comfort in knowing that one day everyone on Earth will know Who’s really in charge.

The coming months will see an ongoing political battle between liberals and conservatives. I will be voting Republican because I cannot support a party that promotes high taxes, wide open borders, third trimester abortion, or transgender ideology in elementary schools. Kamala Harris seems determined to push an anti-Christian agenda.

But I don’t trust political parties, and I don’t think politicians can save us. Washington, DC, doesn’t run the world, and neither do governments in London, Paris, New Delhi, Beijing, Ottawa, Tehran, Nairobi, or Moscow. Just as God humbled King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, He can topple the most formidable global powerhouses in the blink of an eye.

Revelation 11:15 gives us a glimpse into the future when it says, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever!” That means that evil men will do their best to push a satanic agenda of hatred, sexual perversion, violence, corruption, and economic exploitation. They may make progress for a while, but God will ultimately remove evil men from power.

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That’s why I don’t wring my hands in fear over pro-Marxist leaders in Colombia, or militant Hindu leaders in India, or extreme liberals in the US who want to indoctrinate and mutilate children to change their sex. I sleep soundly every night knowing that no matter who wins the polls this week, or who holds the highest positions of power in the world, or which billionaires are pulling the strings behind the curtain, God will have the final say.

Just as God scattered the proud builders of the Tower of Babel, He will always stand against proud, evil leaders and pull the rug out from under their plans. Psalm 37:11-12 puts it this way: “The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes on him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for he sees his day coming.”

Jesus is reigning from heaven, and His gospel is spreading faster than ever before in history. God’s Word is transforming Iran and other Islamic strongholds. Christianity is taking deep root in China. Even isolated tribes like the Wayuus in Colombia are embracing faith in Christ. Yet an estimated 7,400 people groups around the world still do not have a witness to the gospel. Reaching them should be our highest priority. As we enter this turbulent election season, let biblical principles guide how we vote. But remember that we will not win the world for Christ through politics. Jesus’ Great Commission has not changed. He has called us to pray and work until every nation, tribe, and tongue is invited to experience His grace and salvation.

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J. Lee Grady was editor of Appearance for 11 years and is now a senior editor. He leads the Mordecai Project, an international ministry that protects women and girls from gender-based violence. His latest books are Follow me And Let’s go deeper (Charisma House).