My current job places me in a setting with a board of directors in a monthly meeting. From time to time it is the board’s responsibility to develop or revise policy. When this is done it requires a quorum, that is a majority of directors to be present to vote. And this usually comes after much discussion and debate.
So what about those directors who are absent from the meeting? Do they have a voice?
There is a function known as proxy voting. A proxy is a person authorized to act for another and proxy voting is when one person is given authority by another to vote in his stead. This is usually not encouraged and can be illegal in some cases because it gives the person voting too much power on the board. With enough proxy votes one single director could carry the weight of several members. Proxy voting also negates the possibility of meaningful discussion on the board. In the best of circumstances it is not desirable.
In my recent study of Revelation 19, I came across an interesting passage.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
Throughout the Scriptures the church is represented as the bride of Christ. In this passage it is noted at the coming of the Lamb the church will have made herself ready. Think about the church as an individual. Each individual will have made themselves ready. No one else can do this for me. I will have to make myself ready. Each individual will be responsible for making themselves ready.
There will be no proxy voting at that time. No one can stand in my stead at that point. No one can vouch for me. It won’t matter that my wife or children were faithful. It will not matter that I was a part of a faithful congregation. All that will matter at that point is that I will have made myself ready. If I have not, no one else can.
Each will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give account of his own deeds. (Romans 14: 10-12)
While we are on this side of eternity let us give attention to making ourselves ready.