Since I am an African-American pastor, you might think I’d ask about faith or perhaps race. Neither race, gender, nor professed belief answers the question of who influences the way a President thinks and acts. Professing Jesus doesn’t equal living out Christ’s values, or even knowing what Christ truly values.

This one question—which I have not heard asked—calls for answers the public needs to know. Unfortunately, candidates rarely provide the answer to this question even when the election is days away. Typically, their answer is: “That question is premature.” Or, “It’s too early to speculate about that scenario.” In today’s culture, however, not having an answer to this question is increasingly risky. The question, quite simply, is: “Who has your ear”?
When a potential candidate for any office begins to ponder the particulars of his/her political future, s/he needs to begin thinking about, praying on, meditating about: “Who will I count on for guidance, if elected?” “Who can I trust to tell me the truth?” “Whose voice do I respect enough to give them the power of changing my mind?” We should ask and answer this while the pros and cons of running and winning are being weighed. It is not too soon. It is never too soon to ask this critical question.

You cannot choose your parents or your upbringing. You can choose, however, the folk with whom you will surround yourself: your teammates and your advisors. Pay attention—the people with whom you surround yourself say more about you than a thousand speeches about policies, positions and plausible peace papers. The guidance you hear and act upon will make or break both you and your legacy.

Obviously, this reality check is not restricted to potential presidential candidates or politicians. Obviously! So: Who has your ear? Whose voice changes what you think and how you act? Who is offering you guidance?

Poor guidance plus poor information equals a poor decision.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is simple. Yet, I have seen stock values plummet, divorces occur, deadly conflicts brew, careers destroyed, organizations unravel, families disintegrate unnecessarily simply because people failed to seek guidance, asked but did not hear, sought guidance too late, or received guidance from the wrong people—which resulted in bad guidance.

If we have the chance to ask a potential president one question, let’s make it this one. Meanwhile, let’s ask ourselves the same thing.

Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor of the 15,000-member Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Texas, is the leader of Kingdom Builders and Pointe 2.3.4, a community development project. He lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife and three children. Material from this column will appear in an expanded form in the book, “Be In It To Win It,” to be published in December.