FIGHT FOR AMERICA

FIGHT FOR AMERICA
Comedian Jim Gaffigan says “I normally don’t have a burger, a brat, and a steak but… it’s 4th of July. And I need the energy if I’m gonna start blowing crap up. It’s what the founding fathers would want.” I’m thinking our founding fathers may have wanted a bit more than that, especially for the future of our unique democratic republic form of government. While not all were committed Christians, many of America’s early leaders believed in the truth of Psalm 33:12 that tells us “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for His inheritance.” But on this 248th birthday of our nation, I know believers often have a very negative, gloom and doom attitude about the present state of our country- and I agree that America seems to have moved far away from the Christian principles that guided us for a long time. But I still hold out hope that there might be a revival of godliness in our nation if believers step up and take the lead.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Bill Bennett wrote about the cure for America’s ills. He said “I submit that only when we turn to the right things–enduring, noble, spiritual things–will life get better. Most important, we must return religion to its proper place. Religion provides us with moral bearings, and the solution to our chief problem of spiritual impoverishment depends on spiritual renewal. The surrendering of strong beliefs, in our private and public lives, has demoralized society.”
He continues “Today, much of society ridicules and mocks those who are serious about their faith. America’s only respectable form of bigotry is bigotry against religious people. And the only reason for hatred of religion is that it forces us to confront matters many would prefer to ignore.” But then he offers this challenge: “Today we must carry on a new struggle for the country we love. We must push hard against an age that is pushing hard against us. If we have full employment and greater economic growth–if we have cities of gold and alabaster–but our children have not learned how to walk in goodness, justice and mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how gilded, will have failed. Do not surrender. Get mad. Get in the fight.” I agree wholeheartedly. But just what might that mean?
First of all, we need to acknowledge the power of prayer and lift up our nation regularly and fervently along with praying for all of those in positions of political authority. As Paul wrote, “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply…” (I Timothy 2:1,2) And then, as we vote and become aware of the issues in our country, it’s vital that we speak up as we stand for truth. In Colossians 1:23 we read how important it is to “fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting him to save you.” Biblical morality must be returned to, but even more than that is the hope of our nation based not on who’s in the White House, but Who reigns as Savior and Lord in people’s hearts. President John F. Kennedy famously told his fellow Americans in his 1961 inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” What believers need to do for the sake of their country is to truly live out their faith that we might experience revival in our land.
In His Service, Jim