Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Much has been written regarding the extraordinary virtues and values of the American spirit, but without a doubt those accolades reinforce the belief that among the nations, we stand out as unique. But why? How is it that our national spirit came to express itself in unparalleled courage and generosity, enduring optimism, creative innovation, and diversity? I believe the answer is voiced in 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.”
The origin of the American spirit is found in the Creator, the God of the Bible. He alone endows mankind with freedom to live to the fullest, even as he looks out for the interest and benefit of his fellow man. A historian expressed it this way:
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
Our national disposition has its foundation in those individuals who understood that freedom coupled with godly faith has the power to promote the very best characteristics of a nation. Our hospitality and friendliness are universally known to immigrants, students, and visitors alike. We’re a nation of givers through service and philanthropy. We’ve responded to the call to defend and preserve the freedoms of fellow nations with the lives of our best and brightest, and then opened our storehouses to rebuild and repair in the name of charity.
Believer, the American spirit shines brightest, not in the halls of government, but in the lives of ordinary citizens, as it reaches across generational divides and pulls ethnicities together in an uncommon yet contagious desire for the righteous good of our land. May we, as God’s people, continue to carry the torch of God’s light forward through the power of the Spirit and love of Christ!.
– Pastor Jack
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