Every four years, Americans have grown used to hearing that it’s all on the line. The winner of the next presidential election will either usher in the fall of American democracy or restore and redeem our nation, and it’s all up to you to vote the right way! Of course, such hyperbolic rhetoric is better at driving fearful, angry constituents to the polls than it is at accurately describing our political situation. When you step back and think about it, it feels kind of silly. But there’s a reason this message resonates so deeply with so many: We know things aren’t as they should be, and we’re longing for someone to set them right.

In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul tells us that we aren’t alone in this anticipation: all of creation is groaning and waiting to be set free from the curse. Our souls are crying out in desperation, looking for someone to come and redeem all things. As Christians, we know this someone is a king and His name is Jesus. What’s more, He has already accomplished victory over our sufferings and anxieties, the injustices and brokenness around us. But we live in the “not yet” as we wait for Christ to return and set things right once and for all.

Waiting doesn’t mean we go through life staring at our watch and tapping our foot; we are preparing for the Kingdom that is coming to us. The glittering promises of this world—that new sports car or the house with a couple more bedrooms, the prestigious job title or the fancy degree, the admiration of our friends or the pleasures of the world—they are all empty and fleeting. The Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus tells us, is like a pearl of great value; it is worth selling everything we have to obtain it. And while the things of this world will not endure, in the Kingdom there are no thieves, no moths, no rust.

So when cable news and social media tempt you to panic this year, cling to the precious and very great promises of Jesus. Set your hope on Him alone, confident that He will satisfy every longing. Bring this Kingdom-centered vision to your political anxieties this election year, knowing that your longing for justice and goodness and peace will not be left unanswered.

God’s great story is a comedy. In high school English classes, we’re told to distinguish tragedies from comedies by their endings: tragedies end unhappily, while comedies end with resolution, often depicted by a wedding scene or a feast. The Old Testaments tells us of the rising action of Acts I and II of the story. Act III centers on Jesus’ life and ministry, finding its climax in His sacrifice on the cross. God has already revealed the happy ending in Act V: the Marriage Supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19. (A happy ending with both wedding and feast!)

We live in Act IV of the story, longing like a dissonant chord for resolution, but trusting that Christ is preparing a place for us and will return for His bride the church. So fix your eyes on Him and the hope of true, eternal life in these next months when politics threaten to dominate all. To learn more about what that looks like, check out The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics, a project born of friendship among David French, Russell Moore, and Redeeming Babel Executive Director Curtis Chang.