Maybe you’ve heard it said, “Take your Bible into the voting booth.” The sentiment is: we need to vote our moral convictions. For me, living in Michigan, that means a NO VOTE on Prop 3 that would legalize abortions and allow many other things of which I would not agree. 

OK, that’s great take your Bible into the voting booth.  Amen. Amen.

But how about taking your Bible with you….

• When going to work or school—Our Bible (and our understanding of the Truth of God) should affect the way we talk and how we spend your time 
• When on social media and scrolling endlessly through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tic Toc
• When shopping on-line or in a mall. How we spend our money is important.
• When commenting to those you disagree with on social media.
• When filling out your taxes. No short cuts, little white lies or “overlooking” a few things.
• When talking with your spouse, children or parents.
• When dealing with people you disagree with on politics or life choices

Don’t just take your Bible with you in the voting booth. Let your Bible guide in all the endeavors of your life.

Is “taking your Bible with you” too overwhelming to imagine? There are 66 books and two testaments to research. Maybe it’s too much to thumb through in a voting booth. What would happen if we just said, “let the Sermon on the Mount be our guide.” Take the Sermon on the Mount into the voting booth and every where else? Still too much? Let’s make it even easier. Let’s begin with just the first third (roughly) of the Sermon on the Mount. Let’s just master Matthew 5, before moving on. If we just focused on Matthew 5… 

• We’d see that the people blessed aren’t the high and mighty or the powerful and rich, but the poor in spirit, the meek, those that mourn, the peacemakers, the persecuted and those that hunger and thirst after righteousness
• We’d be salt and light in our dark world (NOTE: Not “salty.” There are too many “salty” Christians, which has the opposite effect Jesus was endorsing.)
• We’d be careful about the names and labels we put on people (Includes those who have wronged you) 
• We’d work to be reconciled to those of whom we have something against (this also includes those who have wronged you)
• We’d know that adultery isn’t just the behavior but adultery includes our lustful thoughts and what we put into our mind (hello Instagram and Tic Toc). 
• We’d know how much God values our marriages and how important it is to watch what we say and the vows we make. (Whatever happened to keeping those words, “for better or worse”?)
• We’d learn we have to turn the other cheek when wronged and not seek revenge.
• We’d be generous. Want my jacket? Have the shirt off my back.
• We’d love even our enemies. (That includes loving all those who have reached completely opposite conclusions about life, politics, the Bible, sexual identity, abortion rights, you name it).
• We’d be perfect as our father in heaven is perfect

That’s just Matthew 5. Let’s work on all of those things. Let’s take all of those admonitions into the voting booth and work place and school. When you’ve achieved Matthew 5:48 (“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect”), then we will move on to Matthew 6. 

P.S. It might take a while.