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 about the extraordinary virtues and values of the American spirit. How is it that our nation came to express itself with unparalleled courage, generosity, optimism, innovation, and diversity? I believe our Declaration of Independence points us to the source.
“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 the liberty to live to the fullest. Our national disposition arose from the understanding that freedom coupled with godly faith promotes the very best characteristics of a nation. 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.”
The American spirit shines brightest, not in the halls of government, but in the lives of ordinary godly citizens as they reach across generational divides and pull ethnicities together for the righteous good of our land. May we, as God’s people, continue to carry the torch of His light forward through the power of the Spirit and the love of Christ!
Awaiting His Return,
– Pastor Jack
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