Happy Fourth of July and happy birthday America!
We have so much to be thankful for as Americans. Whenever I think of what it means to be an American, I am immediately drawn to the First Amendment to the Constitution. What would our country be without freedom of speech and freedom of religion? We are free to speak and to worship, to believe and to practice our belief. What great God-given gifts!
Years ago I was greatly affected by someone who said that we needed two great statues in the country–the Statue of Liberty on one coast and a statue of responsiblity on the other coast. While we think of our blessings we also ought to think of our responsibilities. We really should ask what we can do for our country.
Above all others, Christians should be counted on to be a blessing to our country.
What can you do to be a blessing? These are my commitments today.
- I will pray for my country and its leaders. We have the obligation to bless the nation with our prayers. We should pray for all, including those in “high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). This is good and pleasing in the sight of God.
- I will love America and seek its welfare. When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 587 BC, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the captives who were taken to Babylon urging them to “seek the welfare of the city . . . and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). If we should pray for an unrighteous nation that worshiped idols, how much more should we pray for our America?
- I will seek to live a life of righteousness. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). As we live lives that please God, we will bless the nation. A nation can only be righteous as its laws, leaders, and citizens are righteous. What does the nation need from us? Jay W. Richardson, writing about Christians and capitalism, said that a market economy needs rule of law, stable families, cooperation, and self-sacrifice. As I live righteously before God, I bless my family and the people around me.
What will you do today to bless America?