'Bogus Joke': Ex-Prime Minister of Australia's Reaction to People Who Mock Faith, His Powerful Christian Journey

“I believe God has been faithful to me over the course of my life.”

This proclamation from Scott Morrison, former prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022, offers a lens into his deep Christian faith — an unwavering love for and devotion to the Almighty.

Morrison, who shares his faith in his latest book, “Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness,” told CBN News the book isn’t a political memoir but more about what he believes “God’s done” in his life.

Considering his faith led him to the “highest political office in Australia,” Morrison offers some important lessons for those looking to follow the Lord more closely.

His leadership came at a profoundly challenging time — one he said was filled with the COVID-19 pandemic, bushfires, droughts, floods, rising tensions with China, and more.

“It was a bit of a perfect storm there over the almost four years I was prime minister,” he said. “But … God was faithful … and that’s what I try to tell the story … and encourage people in their own faith.”

Watch Morrison tell his story:

A Strong Childhood Faith

Morrison said he grew up in a Christian family with parents who had a deep faith they lived out.

“They understood that … as a follower of Jesus, that means you did things, you served your community, you served in the church, and so I grew up in that environment,” Morrison said. “I learned that life was not about what you accumulate, but what you contribute, and not just in a sort of a ministry sense, but in your community, and so that sort of led me … ultimately into public life.”

Morrison made the personal decision to follow Jesus at a very young age.

“I gave my life to the Lord as a young boy of 12,” he said. “And I’ve been walking with Him for well over 40 years now, and the walk is always fresh and it’s always new.”

Faith and Public Life

Like many people who find their way into public life, Morrison had to figure out how to allow his faith to inform his policymaking, telling CBN News he approached his role as prime minister by appealing to prayer and seeking God continuously.

“Praying for wisdom, and discernment, and judgment — for humility,” he said. “And just trying to find that sensible path, because … when you’re a Christian in politics, you’re not guiding some theocracy. You haven’t been elected as the Australian pope or something.”

Morrison continued, “You are Australia’s prime minister, and you must serve everybody, and you must respect all of their interests and views — and including those that aren’t the same as yours.”

He said the role was very much about “celebrating our democracy” and finding the balance of living out one’s faith while also operating in a way that allows others to practice their own beliefs.

“God doesn’t need the government to prove His case or impose it on anybody,” he said. “I’m sure God’s quite capable of witnessing through His church.”

Listen to them on the latest episode of “Quick Start”

Ultimately, Morrison compared his role to that of Daniel, an Old Testament figure who served Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar.

“Here’s Daniel serving Nebuchadnezzar,” Morrison said. “A secular king with other idols, and with other objectives and beliefs to him, but Daniel served as a faithful prime minister to Nebuchadnezzar and those that followed him. He spoke the truth; he held his ground.”

He continued, “When they told him he couldn’t practice his faith or pray, he refused. They threw him in a furnace, then the lions were kept silent, and I think that’s how you do it. You just have to be consistent about who you are and not shy about it.”

And Morrison certainly had his share of struggles while running Australia, describing it all as a “tumultuous time.” From COVID-19 to dealing with China, the politician cited a number of major issues he has faced.

“It’s a difficult journey,” Morrison said of politics. “You cop a lot of flak, and a lot of unfair things are said about you, but as one of my chief of staff used to say to me: ‘Prime minister, if you wanted fair, you shouldn’t have gone into politics.”

Separation of Church and State

Morrison also reacted to the debate that often unfolds in the U.S. over the role of faith in public life.

Some people argue politicians’ religious beliefs should be completely separate from their lives when they’re leading, that these sentiments should not be a part of any of an elected leader’s decision-making process. But Morrison disagrees.

“It’s a bogus joke; it’s ridiculous,” he said. “It’s a very convenient argument for those who don’t want to see the influence of Jesus Christ in their society. You know, lock them in a room, cancel them, mock them, dismiss them, say they have no right to express their faith.”

Morrison continued, “Freedom of religion, and, importantly, the separation of church and state was established to protect faith, not to silence it.”

He said it would have been “dishonest” for him, as a Christian politician, not to have been clear and honest about his faith. Still, he had to find balance.

“Does that mean that every policy decision that I took, I somehow … took … the Bible as some policy manuscript?” Morrison said. “Well, that’s not possible. He also gave us a brain, and intellect, and experience, and people to work with, and our systems, and so on.”

The politician encouraged Christians to stand up and express their faith in the public square. He’s hoping his book, “Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness,” helps inspire people in this area.

“I want [readers] to understand a couple of things, but my testament is: if you can’t trust God with everything, you can’t trust Him with anything,” Morrison said. “If you want what God wants for you, you’ve got to allow Him to do that. You’ve got to put aside what you think you want for you, and that is hard.”

Morrison also said he wants people to realize faith can’t be treated like a “vending machine,” with full trust in Him being the goal.

“I found God in the highest of achievements and the greatest moments of despair,” he said. “And I was blessed in both.”

Find out more about “Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.”