Early in the morning hours of November 6, 2024, the press declared Donald J. Trump the 47th President of The United States of America.
The subsequent posts on social media presented a range of emotive responses as diverse and divided as the population of The United States of America itself. Some posted triumphantly, while others expressed deep angst.
The students in your home or church likely fall into one of these two camps—or else, they may be experiencing a complex mixture of emotions related to this election cycle. Regardless of what sort of emotional responses teenagers exhibit, you have an opportunity to shepherd them toward Jesus.
Ask Good Questions
First, ask the teenagers in your home or youth ministry a simple question: “How do you feel about the results of this election cycle?”
Note their responses. Then, recognize what their responses indicate about the state of their hearts. Simply put: if teenagers feel significantly more or less burdened today than they did on election day, they’re likely carrying burdens that aren’t theirs to carry. They may be looking to find relief from illegitimate sources.
Point to Jesus, the Gentle Leader
Then, take time to reflect upon Matthew 11:28-30. There, Christ calls out to Trump supporters and Trump-dissidents alike. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)
There are much larger burdens than those of taxation, inflation, over-regulation, and public trust in political institutions. Those are burdens of space and place.
In contrast, there are burdens of the soul: the fallenness of all Creation, the eternal weight of sin, death (the wages of sin), and the holiness of God (who metes out those judgements in righteousness). These are burdens of infinite import, and through Christ, they are burdens from which both we and our students are free.
For in his incarnation, Christ bore the full burden of human fragility (Heb. 4:15). In his suffering to the point of death, Christ bore the full burden of human sin (Rom. 8:1). In his resurrection from the dead, Christ bore the full burden of human death (John 11:25). In in his present ministry at the Father’s right hand, Jesus lives to make intercession for his people (Heb. 7:25); he bears the full weight of human anxieties.
Jesus, Our Burden-Bearer
Jesus is the only one who can release us from the weight of the burdens which truly matter. In releasing believers from the burden of sin, he also offers grace for the matters of time and space. His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and therefore, our hope is steady amidst the ever-shifting sands of America’s political landscape. Our King is on the throne, no matter who lives at the White House. As we seek his kingdom first, we’re assured of his provision and protection (cf. Matt. 6:33).
Did the election of Donald J. Trump instill you or your students with a sense of lightness and freedom? Take heed, lest you fall by mistaking a public servant for a functional savior.
Did the election of Donald J. Trump fill you or your students with existential dread? Take heed, lest, in obsessing over the issues of our day and age, you neglect to grasp the weight of the burdens of your soul—and the One who has offered to share his easy yoke and light burden.
Lo! The Incarnate God, ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood;
Venture on Him, venture wholly;
Let no other trust intrude.
-J. Hart, 1759 – “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”
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