On Tuesday, we will celebrate another birthday of our great nation. It was in this year in 1776 that we declared our independence, seeking our liberty, and then fought a war against Great Britain to secure our freedom. We formed our own nation, crafted a constitution and over a period of several hundred years have become a world power. We have our issues, for sure, but the United States is still the place that I call home and where I hope to spend the rest of my days.
I know that politically the country is deeply divided – and things seem to be getting worse – not better. Political backstabbing, financial crises, polarization at every turn, including Congress and the Supreme Court, have become common everyday occurrences in our lives.
We even recovered from a terrible Civil War 160 years ago. But things are still difficult. On one hand, we live in a country where we have the right to speak our minds – and most of us do….
On the other hand, we have massive debt and there appears to be a problem getting our spending under control. We need to bring down the national debt so future generations won’t have to face the prospect of being saddled with a burden so overwhelming that many younger folks won’t ever be able to own their own homes.
I know that this sounds bleak. But we also have freedoms that several hundred years ago we never thought possible – however, we were committed and we fought a war to ensure these freedoms for ourselves and our following generations.
It continues to amaze me how our country pulls together in times of celebration such as our annual birthday. We also pull together in times of crisis – the wars we have fought, the attacks against the country on 9/11 and so many other examples throughout our history.
The point of this evening’s post is that we tend to look at July 4th as a national day – celebrating the freedoms that we as a country have. But is seems to me that we sometimes forget about the individual freedoms that we also have in this nation. Certainly, religious freedom is chief among those gifts that we enjoy.
A number of years ago I was offered the opportunity to teach in a small country in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The school was a seminary that taught Chinese pastors who ran house churches back in their homeland. Of course, they were underground churches and back in those days I was unaware of the risk that these pastors were taking by wanting to learn more about Jesus in a school far from their homeland – and against the law…
I would have only taught several modules during my trip but I declined the offer to teach. At the time, I looked at it as an inconvenience to travel that far and how it would disrupt my schedule here at home. I was also a little worried about safety issues but I don’t think I really thought it through considering the risk others were taking.
To be sure, our home Bible study purchased a car for a missionary friend who was stationed there and taught at the school. Until that time, he rode a bicycle from his humble home to the school. If it was raining, which it did much of the time, he had to carry a change of clothes in a waterproof bag. That way, he could change when he arrived at class and didn’t have to teach all day soaking wet.
We felt good about our contribution but on hindsight, it wasn’t enough. Given the chance to reconsider my decision, I would have gone and taught. That was pretty much the time when I stopped taking our religious freedom for granted. I did, however, teach Bible classes at a local Bible college here in Indianapolis. And I normally teach two Bible studies each week.
Some of the students I taught have become pastors and/or missionaries in foreign countries. One of my best students has spent a number of years in Guatemala pastoring a church and starting a trade school. Most recently, he has transitioned to an organization that plants churches. There is a young man who has put himself in harm’s way to spread the Gospel around the world.
There are other countless examples of selfless service to others. As I get older, I have come to really appreciate the personal freedoms we have. And this July 4th, I plan to prayerfully thank God for allowing us to live in this country – even with some of the issues that we deal with.
Our verse for tonight is from Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia. The 5th chapter of his epistle starts out this way – Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (KJV)
My encouragement this evening is that Jesus saw fit to put us in this time and place for a specific reason that is our calling. My prayer is that on this upcoming day of celebrating our liberty, we will be grateful for the religious freedom that we have. Furthermore that we may acknowledge that there are others throughout the world are being martyred in the name of Jesus. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…