Expressions and Insights

This weekend was a different kind of weekend for me and my family. We’re currently living in a temporary home while we transition to our new place of ministry. As a result, my time was sharply divided. As patriotic as I am, I simply didn’t have time to share a rousing feel-good story about our nation on the July Fourth weekend.

Yes, we did eat some amazing pork barbecue. Yes, we caught a terrific fireworks display. And yes, we spent time in worship on Sunday, thanking God for His blessings and favor on our country through the years. I don’t know about you, but ever since the fateful day of 9/11, I simply have not been able to sing the words “thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears.” Gets me every time. The fact is that those cities have been dimmed. And in many ways, so is the hope of our nation.

From my perspective it seems that even Christians are more concerned with our country veering from the desires of its founding fathers than from the express commands of our Heavenly Father. This is extremely troubling to me.

As a result, more than anything else this weekend, I spent time in meditation and prayer. . . prayer for our nation, its leaders, and the Christ-followers throughout our land, many of whom seem to have forgotten the reason for our abundant blessings. Our pastor put it well in his question on Sunday: “Can a nation forget God?”

The answer, of course, was a resounding ‘yes.’ But how does this happen? I mean, one day do we just wake up and decide we don’t need Him? Do we just get busy and fail to give Him proper place in our lives? I don’t think it’s that simple.

I’ve done a lot of thinking about this over the past several days — and, in fact, the past several months. With near-record unemployment, a banking crisis, a credit crisis, rampant immorality, self-seeking leadership, and many other daily headlines of an alarming variety, it seems almost comical that we would be so brazen as to refer to July Fourth as “Independence Day.” Why?

Because the fact is that independence is an illusion.

It has been said that God does not bless us because we are good — but because He is. There’s a popular song with a refrain that gives me pause to think every time I hear it: “You give and take away, You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, ‘Lord, blessed be your name.’”

We are simply not independent. Sure, we may be independent from our mother country. . .but I fear that we have taken this notion of independence to such an unhealthy level that the consequences will indeed be dire.

Anyone can look at the frailty of our financial systems, driven and tossed by market moods, and see that we are far from independent. But one thing we truly are: proud.

Time after time in the book of Proverbs, verses warn against the sin of pride. Still, we would be hard pressed to identify many news stories whose prime subjects are not deeply rooted it. Pride, even as a word, is perfectly egocentric. With two letters on each side paying perfect respect to the I in the middle, it is a word that by definition indicates reckless abandonment of God and others in order to facilitate personal desires, no matter how destructive or grave.

This is my space, so I’m going to be competely blunt today. My experience in worship was extremely moving on Sunday. And while the music and message were definitley heart-stirring, the tears in my eyes were not because I’m proud to be an American. Those tears were for a strange mixture of two separate but related thoughts: (1) deep gratitude for God’s amazing guidance, protection, and blessings throughout our country’s history; and (2) profound incredulity that we would even have the shameless boldness to ask His continued blessings even as we systematically abandon His statutes, His commands, and His values in exchange for such cheap things as sin, tolerance, and political correctness.

God is the only reason our country has lasted for these 233 years. Contrary to what some would have you believe, our nation was founded on Christian tenets. And I think it’s time that we get off the proverbial high horse and allow God his rightful place in our lives. One thing is for sure though. If we as believers do not stand up for God, then no one else will.

As believers have lain silent, our nation has developed a potentially deadly disease, as evidenced by severe symptoms and timid treatment. The very fabric of our society, the family unit, is being shredded by sin and shame. Thousands of unborn babies slaughtered every day. . .and even many Christians respond sheepishly, “It’s complicated.” Outlandishly vile celebrities idolized to a god-like degree. . .and even many Christians respond dismissively, “It’s just part of our culture.” Sexual sins regularly paraded before our children and grandchildren. . .and even many Christians respond flippantly, “That’s just how it is today.”

To which I say, “You poor misguided soul.” Our nation is plagued with a mulitude of ills, and the Church must be prepared to offer something better: help, hope, healing — and above all, a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

As the Church, we must get serious about standing up for what is right accordingly to Scripture. Yet I think sometimes it’s really easy to stand up for Christian principles for all the wrong reasons. It is imperative that our commitment to perpetuating the cause of Christianity be God-focused rather than self-focused. Otherwise, we’ll be no better off than we were before.

In one of the most oft-quoted verses in the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 7:14 says:

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

But before we can experience that, believers all across our land must commit themselves to each of those aforementioned components on an individual basis. We must give up the pursuit of independence and realize instead that being a follower of Christ is contigent upon the ultimate act of dependence: taking up the cross daily and obeying His commands.

After all, Jesus was extremely clear about our dependence on Him in John 15:5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

As we march on from this holiday weekend, my prayer is that you will seek to bring every area of your life under the submission of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as much as I would encourage you to be in touch with your elected leaders, I would urge you even moreso to puruse a right relationship with Him.

Whatever you do, don’t be fooled by the illusion of independence. Each of us is but one breath away from eternity. Life is fragile. So is liberty.

Am I certain that by humbling ourselves, praying, repenting, and standing with God that we will be able to stem the tide in our country? No. However, I am certain that we will have no chance at all to stem the tide if we continue down the path of pride, apathy, and blatant disregard for God.

Just as both anxiety and peace cannot co-exist within the body, neither can both pride and humility co-exist. Consider this the sounding of an alarm. . . a call to march in the army of God. I can hear the drumbeat approaching. . .

. . .and it’s not the percussion section of the orchestra. It’s the real deal.

As Paul admonished young Timothy:

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11b-12)

As we march forward for Christ, may we be less concerned about God blessing America — and far more concerned about America blessing God.