A young man's parents were trying to figure out what their son's future career would be so they decided to give him a test.

They took a twenty dollar bill, a Bible, and a bottle of whiskey, and put them on the front hall table. Then they hid, hoping he would think they weren't at home. The father told the mother, "If he takes the money he will be a businessman, if he takes the Bible he will be a clergyman but if he takes the bottle of whiskey, I'm afraid our son will be a drunkard."

So the parents took their place in the nearby closet and waited nervously. Peeping through the keyhole they saw their son arrive home. He saw the note they had left, saying they'd be home later. Then, he took the twenty dollar bill, looked at it against the light, and slid it in his pocket. After that, he took the Bible, flicked through it, and took it also. Finally, he grabbed the bottle, opened it, and took a whiff to be assured of the quality. Then he left for his room, carrying all the three items.

The father slapped his forehead and said, "Darn, it's even worse than I could ever have imagined..."

"What do you mean?" his wife asked.

"Our son is going to be a politician!" replied the very unhappy father.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready for this election to be over! But, before we know who the next president will be for the next for years, I think we can step back and learn a few things from all this political insanity.

I believe that there are 3 things that we can learn from Barak, McCain, Pailin, and whoever else is running for political office.

First, “If you try to be all things to all people, you end up being no one to nobody.” I think that this is especially true in our own lives. We all desire to please people. I am a people pleaser, but when we start to sacrifice who we are for who we think they want us to be, we lose our identity. Pleasing people will only make you more confused than you already are.

Second, I think we need to learn that, “Talk is cheap, actions have meaning.” How many of you have heard people talk about grand ideas or how they want to do something different, but their actions don’t indicate anything like that. Even worse, how many of you have met people who claim to believe something and their actions are completely contrary? These people are hypocrites. The last thing we want to be are hypocrites, so let’s learn from the politicians and make sure our actions match our words.

Third, I think we should learn that, “If your faith is in politics to save the world, you’re in for a big disappointment!” Can I share something with you guys that makes me really mad? I really hate when people try to equate Jesus with a political party. How many of you have heard that Jesus would be a Republican if he lived today? If we actually look back at the time when Jesus lived, I believe we can learn a whole lot. At that point in history the Jews were being persecuted by the Romans. For over 400 years the Jews had awaited their Messiah, and at that point they believed that the Messiah would be a man who would come in an liberate the Jews through the political arena.

However, Jesus was nothing like this. He came to start a different kind of revolution. He came to liberate people from the inside out. True, Jesus did make some pretty big promises, like healing people, being God’s son, and rising from the dead, but the difference was, he delivered.

In a time where everything around us seems uncertain, I believe there are things we can depend on. I can promise you very little, but I can promise you this. Who you place your trust in, whether politics or Jesus will determine whether you will live a life of disappointment or a life truly alive.

So, go out and vote, but learn from this election:
1. Don’t lose yourself trying to please others
2. Actions speak louder than words
3. Who you place your trust in matters