I always try to act as though there is a little boy or a little girl around, and I try never to do anything that would give them a bad example. – Steve Garvey

Do you find you are continually embarrassed by our elected “leaders”? Most recently I was embarrassed by the behavior by members of Congress during President Trump’s address. Spoiled toddlers behave better. Lest you think I’m censuring one political party, in the last few years representatives from both parties have been guilty of poor behavior. 

In 2009, Joe Wilson, a Republican representative from South Carolina, heckled President Obama during his speech to Congress. In response to Obama’s statement that the proposed health care bill would not cover illegal immigrants, Wilson shouted, “You lie!” As Bill Clinton outlined his health care plan in 1993, some Republicans snickered, shook their heads, made faces, and even shouted “No!” Then, when George W. Bush claimed in his 2005 State of the Union that Social Security will be “exhausted and bankrupt by 2042,” Democrats responded with boos. 

Unfortunately, it’s not only Congress. Too many of our presidents have failed to act presidentially. But if leaders act like spoiled brats, should we be surprised when the average citizen does? 

For example, if such behavior happened in a school setting, the student would be reprimanded, suspended and even potentially expelled. In my mind, that’s not a bad solution for elected officials who act infantile. At a time when our culture desperately needs role models, our politicians resemble what one might expect of inmates in the county jail rather than the elected officials of our great country. The primary difference seems to be that inmates wear orange, while members of Congress wear suits. 

This bad behavior accompanies other ethical and behavioral problems. It’s cumulative. Small unruly behavior only grows to produce worse ones. 

Our elected officials are rarely honest.Fame and power encourage people to lie about who they are for fear of losing their position. Honesty should be a virtue for a role model so that you can trust them. Yet, when a politician is seeking to be elected or re-elected, promises are made which the candidate knows have zero potential for ever being fulfilled. 

Elected officials tend to be pragmatists.Integrity is vital to being an ethical person. It’s defined in a variety of ways, sometimes emphasizing moral consistency, personal wholeness, and honesty. 

A pragmatist’s interpretation of integrity is colored by the social consequences of their actions, rather the plumbline of what’s moral. Pragmatists live in the sphere of expediency, often driven by self-interest. It’s not what’s right, it’s what works. Wrong too often works, at least temporarily. 

Elected officials often have a sense of entitlement.Power tends to corrupt. Elected officials, particularly ones on the national stage, are often treated like royalty. They begin to believe their own press releases. They also can begin to believe they’re above the rules. It’s common for them to make laws and then exempt themselves. They begin to believe that their position allows them to fudge on ethics. It doesn’t help when elected officials get a pass for behavior that wouldn’t be tolerated if committed by an average citizen, sometimes even serious crimes. That further distorts their perception of morality and encourages more wrong behavior. 

Then, frequently any attention is good attention. To get elected, they need to be in the spotlight in front of the public as much as possible. Like other celebrities some will do nearly anything to get people to talk about them. Even bad attention is good if it gets them in the headlines.  

Consider the difference of the accepted behavior of many of our “leaders” with the Core Values of a local school: Living our mission with integrity. Showing respect and tolerance for individuals and their differences. Safe Haven for learning and growth for all students. Having fun and building positive relationships. Inspiring and motivating everyone to learn.

Obviously, not all the students live up to those values. The ones who do though are rewarded for living with integrity. It makes you wonder what would happen if the only politicians allowed to run for office had to first demonstrate that they were individuals with a record of integrity. 

As Christ-followers, we can’t rationalize away our own bad behavior because everyone else is doing it. As Christ-followers we must be people of integrity. We are citizens of a greater kingdom and the one true king, King Jesus. That means we must live by His ethics of right and wrong as found in His Word. It means that even when those in our preferred political party act poorly, we can’t close our eyes and give them a pass. The history of the Church of Jesus Christ has been one of speaking out against evil. Our models are Elijah before King Ahab or John the Baptist before King Herod. As it did them, it may cost us to speak out. On the positive side our leaders need to be affirmed and encouraged when they do the right thing.

And we must continually remember that every Christ-follower represents King Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us, We are ambassadors for Christ… Wise are the words of that great Scottish preacher, Robert Murray McCheyne, The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God.

The Bible brims with verses that link our conduct with how the world sees our Savior. We must never forget that we represent Jesus in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, the public arena and social media. 

Someone suggested we see our lives like a movie. Our ethics, morality and good works can be seen as the trailer. When unbelievers see us living like Jesus, while they may despise what we believe, may they not be able to find fault with our conduct. When Christ-followers conduct themselves no differently from a lost world, we hurt our Lord’s reputation. If they are watching us and see no difference between themselves and believers, what motivation (if any) will there be for them to turn to Christ. 

Someday even the vilest governmental leader will give an account for their life, but so will we. Romans 14:12, So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. We must let the Lord Jesus live through us now, so that we will not be ashamed then as we stand before Him.