I pray that you all had a wonderful (and safe) 4th of July! It’s always good to remember our freedom and those who have served our country and given their lives for what we enjoy here in the United States. I am happy to live in such a great country! Sure, we have our problems, but what country doesn’t? Celebrations such as our Independence Day help us look past the negative aspects of things that sometimes happen and focus on the positives. One doesn’t have to travel very far out of the country to see the difference between the United States and other countries. Many times I hear people complaining about the United States and how much they hate living here…”there’s a simple solution,” I tell them, “change citizenship and move somewhere else.” Guess how many have actually taken my advice. The truth is that we are a blessed nation in so many ways and the poorest of us are rich by the worlds standards. Thank God for our blessings while we have them!
As much as I love the United States, I have to come to the realization that our ultimate goal is not the United States (or any other country for that matter). Recall the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13b-14: “But one thing I do: ‘forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’” Although Paul was proud of both his Jewish and Roman citizenship, ultimately, it was his citizenship with God ‘s Kingdom that gave his life meaning. Yes we should be proud of the United States and strive to continually better ourselves and our country, however, we must remember that our primary focus is to be that of God’s Kingdom! After all, independence day for God’s Kingdom was around 33A.D. on a Sunday. Happy Independence Day!
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
