By Waymond Warren
WEST MONROE, La. – Nations are acknowledged as valuable in Jesus’ Great Commission—“all the nations” He said. And Heaven is described in the Revelation as the place where the “glory and honor of nations” is brought.
So, it would be wrong for us to not bless our nation—the nation God gave us—so that our nation can bless God.
Our nation finds its rightful place and truest identity within the Kingdom of God. I am glad I grew up at Bel Air Elementary—standing, pledging every day to our Flag, “one nation under God, indivisible.” Take “under God” out and division is the only thing you can have left.
I am glad we daily sang, hand on heart, “My Country Tis of Thee.” The last stanza says: Our fathers’ God to Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, With freedom’s holy light, Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King! And I’m glad we said our prayer. And the boy, kind and my friend, whose family disagreed with these things, stood in the hall.
What good is that you ask? Well, it made that line very clear— “Let freedom ring!” The majority had the freedom to teach…the minority had the freedom to differentiate.
That’s very different from what we are now experiencing, where the minority can’t be offended and the majority must be stifled, and free speech is being stolen on every hand. I ask you, when will they say, “You can no longer teach about Jesus Christ…” not in school, not in society, not in private circles… ??
Rather than celebrating the home of the free and land of the brave, the land of opportunity and the American Dream, our media and schools are teaching a constant barrage of victimization and excuses.
“All have sinned and come short” teaches us not to blame someone else or some other generation. It also teaches us to not rough-shod over others.
Did we get here through a perfect process? No, and only Jesus was virgin born… Even then Mary’s family history was a mess. That’s humanity folks. “But God….”
He’ll make the best of it, and so should you. The “glory and honor” of our nation should be brought forth by every Christ-follower. Perhaps you’ll know the familiar refrains and decided prayer of “America, The Beautiful….” Shall we stand and sing? America! America! God shed His grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! America! America! God shed His grace on thee.
Waymond Warren is pastor of Fair Park Baptist Church in West Monroe.
