Life and Liberty Through the Lens of Gratitude
On July 4th, 199? A news reporter stuck a microphone in my face and asked, “Why do we celebrate the 4th of July?” As only a well-educated teacher could answer, I replied, “It is the Day the Constitution was signed.”
One more on my list of life’s embarrassing moments . . . especially when friends at church came up to me the next morning chuckling and saying they’d seen me on the news the night before.
I won’t make that mistake again.
The Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Life, Freedom, and Happiness
When is the last time you thanked God for the blessing of living in the United States?
For the blessing of freedom to choose:
- your place of worship.
- your friends.
- your spouse.
- your neighborhood.
- your level of education.
- etc.
You may not agree with every political decision made by the nation’s leadership. I don’t either. But for the next few days, let’s focus on the blessings of U.S. Citizenship, not the problems. Let’s focus on people over policies.
Remind the believers to yield to the authority of rulers and government leaders, to obey them, to be ready to do good, to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and to be gentle and polite to all people. Titus 3:1-2
Having dealt with how believers should relate to other believers, Paul addresses the issue of believers in the world. Everything they do is being noticed by someone. They should always act in accord with the message of the gospel. (Biblewise.com)
There has never been a time in history when people have lived with perfect peace in complete agreement. This week we will look at how followers of Christ can yield to the authority of the government, live in peace, gentle and polite while loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
Will you join me for the next seven days in prayer for the United States?
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Let’s make the next week about more that barbecues and fireworks. Let’s praise God for the gift of life, for faith and freedom.
Prayer for the Nation – Day 1 – Please pray that as a nation we will know and do the will of God.
Photo – Microsoft Office
LOL!! That’s a great one. You never know what kind of silliness will come out when there’s a mic and a camera to record it. 🙂
I will absolutely join you. The kids and I have been learning about Communism, which is giving them great reason to rejoice that we live in a free nation. I pray others around the world might enjoy the same blessing.
Oh, I know Mel. I have to say if I see a reported now, I quietly walk the other way. 😉
Yay, thanks for joining me in prayer. We are so blessed to live here with the many blessings we enjoy.
My central reason for leaving the Christian faith was because it was unable to fulfill my hopes for knowledge, meaning, wisdom, and peace. This fact in itself, let alone the countless others who do not accept Christianity, speaks of Christianity’s capabilities to be the universal hope for all mankind. Any apologetic response such as accusing the individual who doesn’t accept the teachings as being blinded by the prince of darkness, or that they are following after their lusts against the truth of God, etc, are frankly hollow rhetoric designed to close the faith off from self-examination as a system of belief through labeling those who don’t accept it as defective humans. It’s political tripe and has no philosophical merit.
Hi Boyd, Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. I’m sorry you weren’t able to have your hopes fulfilled in the Christian faith. It sounds like you were hurt by people who weren’t willing to talk with you about your doubts and struggles. I hope you’ll visit again and keep the dialogue going. People will let you down, even Christians, because we are all weak and flawed. I’ve dealt with many hurtful situations, many of which came from other believers . . . but I’ve also learned that Jesus will never let me down. I’m not dealing with politics or philosophy, but with a relationship. One that assures me of God’s love and forgiveness, that gives me hope, and fills me with joy like nothing else is able. I hope you’ll continue to visit and talk with us about this. Blessings!