Choosing a Path

Decisions. Some are easy, and others stress us out. When we know the choices we make could mean the difference between security and disaster for our families, they deserve our full attention and consideration.

Elections come up every year, but a Presidential year is extremely important. The winning candidate will exert a great deal of influence over our future for better or worse.

While my family has been affiliated with a particular party for many years, my father and mother always stressed two things: 1) The values of the candidate. 2) His qualifications. If a person met their criteria but was not a member of their party, they also considered the party platform. Never did they slavishly vote along party lines just because their ancestors or anyone else did. The well-being of the country and godly principles took precedence.

The amount of information in this media-soaked country sometimes causes confusion. How do we separate the honest from the hype? What do we do to bring clarity to the overall picture? Here's my methodology:

1) What is the candidate's track record? What has he done versus what he said he would do?

2) Does his values reflect mine, and, more importantly, God's precepts?

3) When it comes to economics, has he shown good business sense and responsible stewardship of our tax dollars?

4) Foreign policy: What is his attitude toward Israel? How does he protect the autonomy of the U.S.? Does he respect our Constitution or undermine it by his words, actions, and selection of people to fill key positions?

5) The candidate may not fully reflect my wish list, but is he a good fit on the most important issues?

6) I do not consider the candidate's rhetoric or how good-looking he may be.

7) Last, but not least, I pray. If we leave God out of the equation, how can we expect His favor or blessing on our land?

We're all busy with our own lives, but we cannot afford to ignore elections.

Writers and Readers: How do you select the person, who will be our President?