John 8: 36 (NIV)
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
July 4th is upon us… our Independence Day as Americans. So much has occurred over the past months that my mind turns to what we know of our heritage. How our founding fathers fought tyranny. How so many gave everything they had… their fortunes and their lives to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. How they stood strong in the midst of neighbors and even family members who disagreed with what they were trying to do. I think of those who have fought in wars since then with the goal of preserving freedom for us and for others. We have fought battles both on and off our soil, but we have overcome. We believed that it was worth everything we had. That is our heritage… one of having a higher calling than just to live and let live… our heritage is one that makes a difference in the world around us… a good difference.
I love America, but it would not be worth anything or have survived even this long had it not been for God. Our Christian heritage is the key. That is the substance of everything in our foundation. We believed God. We understood that there was a higher power – one far above any king or parliament. We believed that we are created beings, meant to live in freedom. We believed that the authority over us was meant to exist and perform for the good of the people and not for self-gratification. I do not think the foundations laid by our founding fathers could have occurred without God’s help and God’s hand. But where are we now? Alexis de Tocqueville (in “On Democracy in America”) wrote that “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great.” It breaks my heart. We have slipped and it feels like we are close to falling on this slippery slope we’ve decided to travel. We need God’s help again.
We’ve heard it said “freedom isn’t free”… but neither is it cheap. Our heritage is great but what legacy will we leave for those who come after us. Will we leave a similar inheritance to those who follow? Our heritage is what we receive… our legacy is what we give. I’m starting to think that we can’t leave a viable or valuable legacy without sacrifice… without it costing us something. Our founding fathers proved that. Maybe it is a sacrifice of time to invest in other people. Maybe it is a sacrifice of money. I doubt many of us have been asked to sacrifice our lives… but what are we investing our lives in? What are we giving our lives to? I am looking for that answer for me. I don’t want to come to the end of my days and wonder if me being here made any lasting difference at all. I want others to know Jesus. I want to be faithful to share what I know and the heritage I have received with those around me so they can know freedom. Not just the freedom of living in America…. but also the freedom to not be a slave to sin because of the life we have in Christ. We have been given a great heritage… I want to leave a lasting legacy.
For me, our heritage is twofold, carefully joined and impossible to separate. This country is a gift from God. What she stands for and how she behaves matters. Her people must honor God or fail. It is who she is. She must return or all will be lost.
Thank you Lord for this great country. Thank you so much for the heritage you have given me… great and good men and women who have gone before me and have been examples of what living for Christ means. Men and women who have invested in my life. Thank you. Help me to pass it on to those around me. I want You to be pleased and honored with the legacy I leave. Help us as a country to turn back to You. If You do not help us we cannot be helped. Have mercy I pray. Guide our steps and our lips. Thank you Father… in Jesus Name, Amen.
Paul Harvey – The Rest of the Story