5 Ways Christians Should Respond to Fear-Driven Politics This Election Season

1. Recognize fear is a weapon of manipulation

The first thing you must acknowledge is that fear-driven politics often serve to manipulate voters. When politicians try to scare you, they are trying to manipulate you. They know fear is one of the most powerful human emotions and has proven to be a winning election strategy. I am not sure if that makes the politician look bad for doing it or us for succumbing to it.

Fear is an emotional response that can cause you to think and sometimes act irrationally. Fear does not encourage calm; it makes us defensive. When people unify around a candidate or party based on fear, they may make decisions that come from a sense of panic instead of well-thought-out, balanced thinking.

As Christians, we are called to live by faith, not fear. In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul writes, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." This means if you are driven by fear, recognize that it is not coming from God.

One way to overcome fear-driven politics is to look for solutions, not just rhetoric. If a candidate, party, or campaign ad uses fear to highlight a problem but does not offer thoughtful solutions, then you are being manipulated. This should awaken you to look for better information, which can help you make a more informed decision.

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2. Take a Berean approach to the information you receive

Now, the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. - Acts 17:11

In any election campaign, especially in recent times, some of the rhetoric that is being put out there has made me cringe. I won't repeat some of those statements, but the cringe factor of what was said should cause you to look for more information. Most people get their information from media outlets that support their political affiliation. This leads to confirmation bias, where you only accept any information supporting your position as true. Unfortunately, if you only get your information from one source, then you are not getting complete information. Often, what you hear will stoke your fears and not calm them.

As Christians, I believe we have an obligation to be seekers of truth and not just accept things at face value. I am going to say something here that you may find shocking. Don't take anything that any politician or campaign tells you as the complete truth. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum they fall on, always dig a little deeper. In our current political climate, we look for holes in the issues and statements of the candidates we don't like, but we don't apply the same standard to those we do like. This is how fear and misinformation can explode like wildfire.

On the contrary, you should take a Berean approach to looking into political issues. Search for yourself to see if what they are saying is true. Today, we have so much access to information that it's not too difficult to find out the truth. You just need to do a little extra work, which should allow you to discover what is true and what is not. This one thing alone can help calm your fears.

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3. Don't forget God is sovereign

I have some good news for you. Regardless of who wins this election, God will remain sovereign, and Jesus will still be on the throne, holding all authority in heaven and earth. If your response to that is but…, then you must ask yourself if you truly believe that to be true. As important as elections are, they do not interfere with God's sovereignty, nor will they ever destroy God's plan. While there will always be shifting tides around politicians and political culture, God will always remain constant.

By saying this, I am not telling you not to vote or not to get involved in the political process. I am saying don't be afraid if your candidate or party does not win. It may feel like a setback, but it is not a cause for panic. Fear is driven by the belief that all is lost if the "wrong" side wins. But for Christians, there's never a situation where all is lost because we trust a God bigger than politics. If you find yourself hopeless, defeated, or fearful because your candidate or party lost, you must seriously consider who you are trusting in.

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4. You may have to ignore some prominent Christian voices

I wish I didn't have to write this section, but unfortunately, I feel like I need to. Sadly, pastors, leaders, and some people who have influential Christian platforms are behaving no better than the world. I have heard them using the same insulting, disrespectful, dismissive, and divisive language when referring to candidates they are against in the same way people in the world do. You would think that if there were any place where you could escape the fear-driven politics we see in the world, the church would be that place. Yet, many church leaders, pastors, and Christian content creators on social media play right into the fear narrative. The ones who should call you to look to Jesus and not get sucked up in the culture of fear are doing exactly the opposite. That's why you may have to stop listening to them regarding these things; they are stoking the flames of fear and not trying to tone down the rhetoric. When did you ever see Jesus use fear tactics with his disciples? You won't find it because he never did. On the contrary, he constantly reminded them not to be afraid.

Leaders and influencers have a responsibility not to promote a narrative of fear but to inform and instruct—not in a way that stirs up panic, anger, or alarm, but in a manner that helps people and provides Biblical answers to the issues of the day.  

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5. Stay anchored to Biblical truth

In these election seasons, it's easy to let political rhetoric shape your worldview more than the Bible. Fear-driven politics can often create an "us vs. them" mentality, where the other side is not just an opponent but an enemy. This leads to division, hatred, and hostility. I cannot tell you some of the nasty and hate-filled language I have seen and heard from people who profess to be followers of Christ. The vitriol and anger they profess for people who hold a different political viewpoint is not becoming of anyone who calls themselves a Christian. All I can say is, please find me one place in Scripture where this type of behavior is justified.

When Jesus tells you to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that is not a suggestion but a command. However, when fear-driven politics overcome you, that becomes the excuse to ignore these truths. Have you ever considered that one reason Jesus says this is because this is how we distinguish ourselves from the world? Imagine how our influence for Jesus changes when, despite strong disagreements on political issues, we show love, respect, and kindness to those we disagree with. This is Biblical truth. However, it is not enough to just be Biblically true with what we believe. We must also be Biblically true with how we behave. Not perfectly, but consistently. If we don't, then our actions may cancel out our beliefs and the impact we can truly have in our society.   

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Final thought - Be a faith agent, not a fear agent      

While fear-driven politics will continue to dominate the landscape for the rest of this election season, you don't have to buy in. You should put your trust in God's sovereignty, not in political outcomes. When you do, you are putting your hope in Christ, not earthly governments, and Christ is where our hope should be.

When your hope is in Christ, you can be an agent of faith and not fall victim to the culture of fear-driven politics. I fully believe that these chaotic and unsure moments are the setup we have to truly show Christ to the world. We can disagree without falling prey to fear. If you care about Christ and the kingdom, then the way we seek to expand that is not through fear. We do this by giving people the truth and helping people make sound decisions this election season that are founded on Biblical truth, not political fear. From my point of view, I see no other choice.

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