It is pretty easy to find “dirt” to throw at America. We are imperfect people, with imperfect leaders, living in imperfect times. But thankfully, we serve a perfect God who has allowed America to continue to flourish in all our messiness. It seems imperative to me that we understand the role that Christian life and leadership have played in our nation’s heritage and celebrate it! It also seems important to identify the key things we can do as Christians living in our beloved nation at this time of national and church pruning and disequilibrium. I also want to provide historical quotations that you can have accessible for your benefit and for use with your children and grandchildren. Here are some things to consider and act upon:

Celebrate Your Heritage

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (John Adams)

“Bad examples are more rare in America, which must be a comfortable consideration to parents. To this may be truly added that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity rare and secret, so that persons may live to a great age in that country without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an Atheist or an Infidel” (Benjamin Franklin in “Information to Those who would Remove to America”. Franklin was known as a Deist and not as a Christian).

Sometimes in our day, people like to separate faith from the public square. Interestingly, it is virtually impossible to do that if you consider the history of America. Here are several examples to remind us of our precious heritage:

• Our patriotic hymn, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee," was written by a Baptist clergyman, Samuel Francis Smith.
• The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister, Francis Bellamy.
• The words, "In God We Trust," carried on all of our coins, are traced to the efforts of the Rev. W. R. Watkinson of Ridleyville, Pennsylvania. His letter of concern, addressed to the Hon. S. P. Chase, was dated November 13, 1861. Seven days later, Mr. Chase wrote to James Pollock, Director of the U.S. Mint, as follows: "No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins. Will you cause a device to be prepared without delay with a motto expressing in the finest and tersest words possible, this national recognition?"
• The president of the College of New Jersey, the Reverend John Witherspoon (Presbyterian), was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. John Witherspoon had a far-reaching influence on democracy. He had personally taught several of the signers of the document, and nine of them were graduates of the little college over which he presided at Princeton. When he took up his pen to put his name to the document, Witherspoon declared: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, a spark. We perceive it now before us. To hesitate is to consent to our own slavery. That noble instrument upon the table, that ensures immortality to its author, should be subscribed this very morning by every pen in this house. He that will not respond to its accents and strain every nerve to carry into effect its provisions, is unworthy of the name of free man. For my own part, of property I have some; of reputation, more. That reputation is staked, that property is pledged on the issue of this contest; and although these gray hairs must soon descend into the sepulcher, I would infinitely rather that they descend thither by the hand of the executioner than desert at this crisis the sacred cause of my country."
• “America is great because she is good. If America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” (Alexis de Tocqueville, 1848)

Demonstrate Gratitude and Repentance at the Same Time

Many years ago, I was doing some research and came across some fun quotes. I hope you enjoy them!

"Democracy is a form of government where you can say what you think even if you do not think."

"Democracy is a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame."

I love what President Reagan said in the mid-1970s, before he was President, when asked how we could match Russia’s record after its more than half a century of socialism:

“We would have to cut our paychecks by more than 80 percent; move 33 million workers back to the farm; destroy 59 million television sets; tear up fourteen of every fifteen miles of highway; junk nineteen of every twenty cars; tear up two-thirds of our railroad track; knock down 70 percent of our houses; and rip out nine of every ten telephones. Then all we have to do is find a capitalist country to sell us wheat on credit to keep us from starving.”

The 1892 Supreme Court decision in Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 U.S. 457, stated, “These references and many other matters, which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a religious people; this is a Christian nation.”

A stream never rises above its source. The problem is that we have replaced the source of our cultural identity; instead of understanding the sovereignty of God and how He has used America through the centuries, we have begun to believe that we are a law unto ourselves. The Bible clearly teaches the consequences of our missing the mark with our understanding of our source of authority.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

Often today, people get worried about “Christian Nationalism.” Much of what the media throws around is an easily discernible tactic to silence people of faith. I am not familiar with any followers of Jesus who think that America, our President, our heritage, or our economy is the Savior of the world. John 14:6 is explicit about the way, the truth, and the life. He has a name, and the name of Jesus is the only name whereby we can be saved.

That said, we do honor our heritage and should be willing to share our gratitude for our country’s founding, while at the same time recognizing and repenting of our gross national sins of slavery, abortion, corruption, and a host of other human failings in the past and in the present. Scripture teaches us to honor those imperfect people who are in authority (and remember, this was written while the Roman government was persecuting Christians!):

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (Romans 13:1)”

Believe God to Move in the Present Season

Christians in America are a more consistent voting bloc than many other social groups; at the same time, the percentage of Christians who vote is depressingly small. I have long believed that it is because we have bought the lie of the “sacred and secular” divide and many Christ followers have been absent from the public square by choice in order not to “soil” themselves with public activity. I am deeply burdened by this and believe the Lord is calling His people to be faithful, to demonstrate the love of Christ wherever we go, and to do all we can to bring the light of Christ to the nations, particularly to our own blessed nation. God has a plan for His people, and He longs for us to testify to His goodness.

Scripture tells us that followers of Jesus are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Be Grace Ambassadors in the Everyday of Life

During the turbulence of the COVID years, I wrote a book called The Prevailing Church. Then, in the aftermath of COVID, I wrote the book Grace Ambassador. I believe Jesus is calling His people to a new season of justice, mercy, kindness, and fruitful ministry of bringing the eternal to the everyday. Jesus described it this way: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Maybe you are looking for how this can work out in the everyday of your life. Many years ago, I had the honor of being with Pastor Jack Hayford on multiple occasions. Part of his heartbeat was for Christians to be a redemptive force in our world. A Father in the faith, Ed Silvoso, has a tremendous heart for the “ekklesia” (assembly) in the public square to impact our world with the hope of the gospel. Here, with some editorial license on my part, is a quick snapshot of some ideas you can take into your everyday:

1. ‍Believe the promise: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)‍
2. Bless your enemies:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)‍
3. Value life: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” (Proverbs 31:8)‍
4. Pursue unity: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)‍
5. Live in purity: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-16a)‍
6. Serve the needy (Matthew 5:16)
7. Preserve liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17)
8. Share Christ with passion (Matthew 28:19-20)

God is not done with America. I believe the Church in America can move into the next season with a strengthened heart to demonstrate His love and grace and mercy to a desperately needy world. Join me in believing the teaching of John 15 and 16: What God prunes, He does so that more and better fruit can be harvested for the kingdom. God has given us a tremendous heritage in America and we will honor it for His glory!