let freedom ring
Photo by Tim Mossholder
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we lose our freedoms, it will be because we have destroyed ourselves from within. (Credited to Abraham Lincoln)
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
~Ronald Reagan
The mere fact that I was born in the United States of America is, in my humble opinion, a blessing. Now, I am not of the mindset that this fact makes me superior to anyone else born in other countries, nor do I believe God specifically chose the USA as His “chosen people or country.” God made people of all races and colors, all over the world that He loves just as much as He loves those of us in the USA.
“Ethnocentric [is a] great sounding word but exudes arrogance. When we Americans think we are the only race or nation God loves or blesses, we are horribly mistaken. If we make this assumption we have horribly misunderstood the breadth and dept of God’s love, grace, and His mercy. He loves everyone on the planet with the same undying love. God has no favorites.” ~Zig Ziglar
photo by Vladimir Soares @vlad_soares
Jesus died for all. Remember?
“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
There are many times throughout history where God has shown His providence and protection for the USA and our leaders.
For example, in his book, 1776, David MCCullough, shares an experience of this kind of providence, recorded by George Washington.
Washington’s earliest dramatic experience of God’s providential protection occurred during General Braddock’s defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela, near modern day Pittsburgh, in 1755. Following the Battle, Washington wrote to his brother, John A. Washington on July 18, 1755:
“But by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.”
That being said, I still believe we are, as a country, incredibly blessed, and there have been many a times when God blessed the USA tremendously!
“God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without His aid?” ~Benjamin Franklin
I also believe there was a time when our country was a country that was one nation under God, and indivisible, a time when we lived more by the golden rule, ”do unto others as you would have done to you,” than we do today.
We wouldn’t have what we have today if God weren’t still blessing us, but it seems we are moving further and further away from Him and from acknowledging His grace and mercy and the love He has poured out on us.
photo by Aaron Burden @aaronburden
Sadly, I believe, particularly in the last few years, that we are experiencing the repercussions of living our lives apart from the cornerstone of our foundation, God, and family. We are living not as a nation indivisible, but rather a nation of extreme divisiveness. We seem to have put aside the need for God, or the value of family, and in return, our youth do not see the need for God or the value of commitment to a faith, to a family, and least of all to country .
We need to do a better job of passing down the true values of freedom. America is no where near a perfect country, and we still have deep wounds to heel across this nation, and massive flaws in our character, BUT…we are still The Greatest and FREEST place in the ENTIRE world to live. Are we really making this known to our children and the youth of today? What are we doing to encourage them and give them hope?
In order for this country to go on and continue to be the only country in the world people will literally risk their lives to enter in search of a better life, we must teach generation after generation what makes America great!
photo by Christopher Eden @kristofer2482
There seems to be such a huge disconnect, in that the world today wants people to believe that having no rules is the only way to have our best life ever. It’s an interesting paradox, that in reality, we don’t experience true liberty by throwing off all rules. Freedom is truly only experienced in the context of laws. In order to have a nation of people who function together and prosper, its citizens need to know what is expected of them- in traffic, in business, in community, and in the home.
Our spiritual lives are no different. I remember having this conversation with my sons over and over during their teen years, trying to help them understand that rules and laws, especially God’s laws are really more so for our own protection than to deprive us of a fun life.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
There’s a reason scripture mentions drunkenness, sexual immorality, idolatry, complaining, etc. There are painful consequences of breaking God’s laws, the sooner we learn to value of those restrictions, the better off life can be. In full transparency, this was not a concept I understood in my youth, or dare I say, even young adulthood. I remember hearing it in church, but I don’t recall anyone ever really trying to explain it to me in my youth. However, I remember learning the truth of that message on my own as I broke rules and suffered the consequences.
Rules, especially God’s, are actually there to provide us with tremendous freedom, even though most of the time we do not accept them as such. As we live by them, we experience true freedom, freedom from fear and anxiety, relief from guilt, freedom from darkness, and chains that bind us, richer deeper relationships because there’s no guilt or shame, and a deeper and closer relationship with our Father who truly wants us to thrive. Love sets boundaries. Genuine love isn’t a free for all. Real love actually thrives within the confines of rules.
photo by Aaron Burden @aaronburden
Prisons are full of bitter, angry people who feel oppressed because they didn’t follow the laws of the land. The same can be said for our homes and communities. We are surrounded by people who suffer the consequences of their choices to break God’s laws, adultery, jealousy, laziness, lying, drunkenness, and all other forms of selfishness lead to misery .
It seems as though the word freedom has morphed into something new called, “meedom.” My freedoms. My rights. My body. My money. My decision. My wants. My goals. Me, me, me. My. My. My. Freedom, or “meedom,” is all about me, and me doing my thing, and you do your thing, that is as long as “your thing” doesn’t get in the way of my personal “meedom.”
But a healthy society cannot sustain itself if everyone sees freedom as “meedom.” Living in this manner, without overall rules or boundaries will cause a people, and therefore a nation to crumble. As the beginning quotes say, we will be a society that destroys ourselves from within because our selfishness will cause extreme divisiveness, eventually creating a society that eats its own. We must fight to protect the cornerstones (our foundation) of this country, God, and family.
photo by Benji Aird @airdography
For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)
Freedom is a great definition of independence, as it is the result of the choices we make in our life. The power of choice is one of the greatest freedoms we have in our country, and knowing where to find it is important, as we see in Proverbs 2:6: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. (8-freedoms-to-thank-god-for-this-independence-day )
Before wrapping up, let’s take a look at eight freedoms we should cherish and celebrate, freedoms I treasure and pray we don’t lose, and freedoms I see under attack, more so now than ever.
photo by Jen Theodore @jentheodore
1. Freedom to believe in God.
People risk their lives to get here for religious freedom and a better life. We get to wake up each and every day and read our Bibles if we choose to or, listen to a podcast, or watch a faith-based TV show, because we are free to believe in God.
2. Freedom to worship.
We were made for community. Our individual gifts are stronger when they are joined with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are allowed the choice to worship in any way we desire. We can sing praise music, go to any church we desire, lift our hands in praise, dance, whatever or however we choose to worship, we are free to do so.
3. Freedom of prayer.
“Meedom,” or the “I don’t need anybody” mentality is an American lifestyle demanded and respected in numerous circles. The world sees this as a strength, but it can also be a tremendous weakness when it leads us to put self-first, and God on the sidelines of our life. Being free to pray gives us the opportunity to submit our requests to God and live in faith as we are called to do.
4. Freedom to live out our faith.
In some countries the mention of serving God or his son means instant death. Our forefathers recognized the creator through their extension of certain God-given rights in the Declaration of Independence. Therefore we are free to walk our talk.
5. Freedom to vote.
In one of the last Presidential election over 30 million professed Christians did not vote. People died for our right to vote. It’s our basic responsibility to exercise that right and show respect for those willing to die for us to have that opportunity. We need to keep the faith that every vote does count, as social issues that matter to God continue to create further divisiveness, votes matter. Our nation was founded on God, yet we continue to chip away at God’s sovereign place of authority through the decisions continually implemented by the Senate, Congress, and Judicial branches. Voting is a privilege.
6. Freedom of speech.
Free speech is one of the most sacred rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and truly, all the others flow from it. We are guaranteed the right to speak openly and publicly about our opinions, beliefs, and faith. Never take this for granted!
7. Freedom to challenge the government.
The freedom to petition the government is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Another way to think of this is the right to present requests to the government without punishment or reprisal.
8. Freedom to pursue happiness.
In the Declaration, one of the rights it defines is "the pursuit of happiness." Galatians 5:22 says we can have real joy in our life as we walk in the Holy Spirit. We don't have to pursue happiness; rather we can choose to live it out in the Spirit.
People who recognize and thank God each and every day for their freedoms and choose to follow the laws of the land and God’s laws are the happiest people in the world. Those are the people who truly understand what it means to be free and enjoy the liberty that obedience gives them.
As the famous MLK once brilliantly stated…
“ When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestant and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Resources paraphrased or referenced for context:
Some content throughout is Paraphrased from Zig Ziglar’s, The One Year Daily Insights
Some content adapted and paraphrased from, 8-freedoms-to-thank-god-for-this-independence-day
