Many years ago, shortly after arriving in Vanuatu as a long term missionary, the government was facing another motion of no confidence. Each time this happened, the opposition would cross the floor to take control of parliament, cabinet would be reshuffled, new ministers appointed, and government-appointed roles reallocated. The result for anyone working with a government department at the director level, would be to begin the conversation again as a new minister (and often director general) defined their particular policies for the department. It was frustrating to see little achieved, or to begin again after losing the ground covered since the last reshuffle; but more troubling was that each time there was a political move like this, the appearance of corruption throughout the entire system was obvious to many.
As I drove along one day, I was having a discussion complaining to God: I realised that as missionaries we are called to speak life and truth. More than that, our mission organisation – Marine Reach – had a sense of calling to discipleship on a national level. So my complaint to God was founded on those two assumptions being true. I asked the question “Lord, what should I do about corruption?” He answered me with a question: “what is corruption?”
After a bit of thinking I suggested to Him that corruption was about putting truth and legal “right” aside, in favour of personal gain. His response to me?
“Ok, so based on that definition, are you corrupt in any of your ways?” I realised that He wasn’t talking about my most recent visit to the ministry of health, or my leadership of others, but my relationship with Him as a redeemed-by-the-cross follower of Jesus. The question shook me and recognising my own failures, I felt disheartened: if I, as a person in vocational service to God, was corrupt, I couldn’t possibly find moral ground from which to judge others, nor challenge them to be better. I asked the Lord what this all meant.
We started to talk about democracy and the mustard seed kingdom of Jesus Christ. He pointed out to me that in a democracy like Vanuatu or New Zealand, where each adult has a vote to choose their government, the government elected on any given day will broadly reflect the values of the people voting.* Therefore, if the majority of people individually think that being in debt is okay, they’ll be comfortable voting for people who put the nation in debt. Or, if people think that occasionally “bending” the truth is acceptable for some situations, they’ll be willing to vote for those who lie. If I followed this logic, I saw what the Lord was pointing out: that people with corrupt hearts will accept corrupt governance.
Now before you think that I’m claiming that some people are more corrupt than others: this all got personal really quickly. God reminded me that I was corrupt in some of my ways, that I hid the truth if I felt it would cause me shame, that I was quick to forget His sovereign faithfulness when money got tight. Therefore, to the extent that I am willing to live with my own dishonour of His biblical laws and truth, I would also be willing to accept that same dishonour on a governance level.
Based on all of that, I felt an answer to my original question coming through:
We fight corruption in nations by beginning in ourselves. By actively working to align our hearts, thinking, and actions more closely with God’s heart of love, truth, justice, faithfulness, mercy, and grace, we fight back against the hate, lies, injustice, and disgrace we see around us every day. By choosing not to accept those things in our personal lives, we will do better at resisting them in our leaders and governments.
How do I deal with corruption? It starts with me loving and honouring God more fully in every area of my life.
What do you think? Is fighting corruption as simple as being a better Jesus follower?

*My friend Dave pointed out that this principle goes both ways, that prophetically a nation will get the government they deserve based on the way they love and honour God.