Eric Metaxas to politically active Christians: Surround yourself with the Church
Eric Metaxas, a New York Times bestselling author, encouraged young Christians to stay involved in politics because it's God who placed them in the positions where they're serving.
Metaxas sat down with The Christian Post last Thursday at the Falkirk Center's Faith Summit at Liberty Universityto talk politics and how the Church can be effective in government. Referring to young Christians serving in politics, he encouraged them to remember why they’ve been placed in politics and that they’re ultimately serving the very God who put them there.
“Understand whose battle this is, understand who called you to the battle. That’s what will keep you going when other people say 'I’ve had enough,’” Metaxas said.
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Metaxas likened the principles of spiritual development for young Christians in politics to the life of slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce. When Wilberforce came to know Christ, he was a young member of British Parliament and immediately had plans to leave politics since he thought one couldn’t be a Christ follower while serving in, what he considered to be, a corrupt system. But a group of Christians implored him to stay in politics and champion the cause of justice, in this case by abolishing slavery in the British empire.
He explained how Wilberforce saw his calling to be of divine nature by invoking a quote from the abolitionist’s journal: “God Almighty has set before me two Great Objects: the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners.”
Referring to the challenge of finding God’s calling in a Christian’s life, Metaxas said God will lead us to that calling if we are deliberate in prayer.
“God wants every one of us to do something, the question is ‘what?’ If you have a personal relationship with Jesus where you’re praying, where you’re asking Him to lead you, He will lead you. Wilberforce never knew he was doing this on his own power. He knew that when the chips were down, when it was tough, God had called him. It was God’s battle.”
Metaxas challenged young Christians in the public sphere to surround themselves with the Church, and asserted that the challenges of the world will be too much for a Christian who isn’t surrounded by encouragement.
“You have to have a personal relationship with Jesus, it’s not just about worldview. You’ve got to start with the person of Jesus and that fundamental relationship. You have to surround yourself with people who have that relationship and who can be your brothers and sisters and can encourage you in that because ultimately that’s the Church … Without that, it becomes too tough, and eventually, you let the culture affect you rather than you affecting the culture."
