I am 42 years old and have never voted for a civic leader, and it is unlikely that I will ever do so.
Before anyone decides to state that I have no right to complain, note that I have given ten years of my life in military service.
For me it is simply a matter of trusting in God’s wisdom over my own.
That said…
Most of the answers you have received or will receive fall into two typical categories:
1). It is important to vote and we have a responsibility to vote
We should also consider the effectiveness of voting just as we would any other action (Luke 14:28-31).
In America, popular vote does not decide who becomes president. Electoral vote makes that decision.
There is also the consideration that our elected leaders have made it remarkable easy for those who are not citizens to vote.
Add to that generations who have learned that choosing certain leaders means that they get things they personally want without any more cost than standing in a line and then checking a box. Human nature left to its own devices inevitably leads to self-centered choices made without thought of potential consequences.
If we compare it to choosing leaders in the church, then we should note that we cannot know if what a person actually believes and does unless we personally know them and see them living day to day.
Add that to the fact that most of what we hear about or from any given candidate is filtered through a heavily biased media in sound bites chosen to garner attention rather than give a full picture.
Personally, I have always loved the irony that most (not all) of the ones who invoke this idea seemingly ignore other avenues of civic duty such as military service, sanitation, healthcare, emergency/medical care, farming, police work, childcare, teaching, or other civic service avenues.
Perhaps it is just a coincidence that these other forms of service are not as easy as standing in line and checking a box, or perhaps it is just coincidence that other forms of service don’t typically garner as much “positive” attention for the one doing them and telling others to do them.
2). A religious response of vote for God's choice
God (Romans 13:1) appoints government authorities, not us.
It is also worth considering what happened when God’s people demanded a king, they were given one (Saul) that fit what they thought was the ideal for a leader. The results of that choice are made plain in scripture. What we think is needed often proves to be something quite different than what we actually needed.
David (1 Samuel 13:14) was not among those that were set up to be chosen (1 Samuel 16) as a government leader.
We keep hearing about ideal candidates, but scripture repeatedly makes it plain that God usually does not up leaders that the people think are ideal.
If you are voting based on the philosophy of “God’s choice” then are you willing to vote for someone outside the highlighted candidates?
Are you willing to vote for the old coot in the back pew that everyone feels uncomfortable around?
Are you willing to vote for the for the barely eligible young guy with no apparent experience?
