Last Saturday, I was putting the finishing touches on a message I’d be preaching from Philippians when a family member sent me a text:

“If the win wasn’t guaranteed before, it’s guaranteed now.”

I hadn’t heard the news about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, so I was confused for a second. But then the iconic picture loaded on my phone of him raising his fist defiantly, blood on his face. I’m pretty sure I’ll never forget where I was in that moment. The rest of the afternoon, I snagged tidbits of news while trying to stay focused on Philippians.

In that process, this line from Paul stood out to me:

…. work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (2:12-13)

It struck me as incredibly relevant to our current moment.

How to Respond When God Is Moving

Obviously, that verse is primarily about God’s ongoing of work of sanctification in our lives and our participation in the process, as He empowers us. But I think it’s also a profound statement of what our general posture should be toward any work God is doing in the world and in our lives:

Fear and trembling.

The verse isn’t referring to a fear based in condemnation – there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Romans 8:1). It’s referring to a deep reverence for God’s work. It’s realizing that God is working, but we don’t know exactly how His plan will unfold. It’s His plan, not ours, that’s at work in the world. We know what we want, but ultimately God reminds us, emphatically:

“…my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Far be it from me to throw water on the excitement, but even as we see victory and providence (dare I say, salvation) in sight, we must remain vigilant and humble. We must maintain a posture of fear and trembling, realizing that God will complete His ultimate plan—but we also must remember that we have a tremendous capacity to get in the way and really make a mess of things. Especially when we’re feeling the wind at our back.

Stay Low

Which brings me to mind another warning from Paul: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Is it possible we’re at our most vulnerable moment when we feel most confident that we know exactly how God’s plan will unfold?

So here’s my point: As people of faith who are involved in the political process, this is a time for great fear and trembling. We’re at a critical juncture right now. God seems to be working in a specific way, but He may choose a different path to victory than we would choose.

It’s sobering to remember that His path to victory for humanity seemed like ultimate defeat as His Son hung on the cross. The path to victory in God’s economy tends to be a path downward. It’s a path of humility and meekness.

Even if political victory ends up looking the way we want it to, we must remember that it’s the meek who inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Meekness isn’t weakness. Meekness is strength under control. The meek inherit the earth because they’ve proven they won’t abuse their position of strength. They recognize that a position of strength is a frightening place to be.

Stay Humble

As Spider-Man taught us, great power requires great responsibility. Any position of seeming strength must be used judiciously and humbly. Great strength can quickly lead to overconfidence.

Right now, in the wake of all that’s just taken place in the political arena and even some senior Democrat staffers saying they’ve “resigned themselves to a second Trump presidency,” the winds seem to be blowing in the direction of victory for “our side” and no doubt, much prayer and hard work has been in play to get to this point. But let’s make sure we don’t fall into the trap of taking things into our own hands, ala Paul’s warning to the Galatians:

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (3:3)

May we be those who walk in wisdom in the coming months. In this seemingly triumphal moment of God’s providence on display, let’s drop to our knees in gratitude and seek God’s guidance. In the words of Iraenaus, let’s “pray as if it depends on God and work as if it depends on us.” May we be those who proceed with fear and trembling, knowing that, ultimately, it is God who is at work and we are humble participants in his process.

May we remember the words of the most powerful man of his time, who learned firsthand what it means to walk in fear and trembling in light of God’s power and plan:

… I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34-35)

Selah.

 

Joël Malm is an author, speaker, podcaster, and leadership coach. Learn more about him at http://joelmalm.com