God or Country?

Posted in , By Patty Kennedy 1 comments

 
 This week we celebrate the 238th birthday of our nation. Picnics, parades, and of course fireworks displays are all part of how many of us celebrate.

Pledging allegiance to our flag and singing our national anthem are fine, but we Christians need to ask ourselves where our FIRST allegiance lies.

Patriotism, I'm afraid, has become tantamount to a religion in this country, particularly since 9/11. Even at professional ball games now, "God Bless America" is sung right along with the national anthem. It's ironic to me that prayer is not permitted in schools, yet entire stadiums full of people are expected to join in singing this song, almost as if it's a good luck charm (if we sing "God Bless America," we'll be covered and will never again experience the horrors of 9/11).

Are you more devoted to God or to your country? Before you answer too quickly, take time to consider the following questions:
  • Are you prejudiced against immigrants, even though the Bible admonishes us to embrace them? (See Lev. 19:33,34, for starters)
  • Do you disrespect the President in public venues (like Facebook) rather than praying for him as we are commanded to do in 1 Timothy 2?
  • Do you get your worldview from the Bible, or from Fox News/Bill O'Reilly/Rush Limbaugh?
If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions, it's quite possible your allegiance is more to your country than to God. A biblical worldview is not gained by watching Fox News or listening to Rush Limbaugh. A biblical worldview is formed by saturating yourself with the Word of God. Yet I hear people quote their favorite sources as if they are quoting from the Bible.

A number of times I have confronted people who profess to be Christian, yet constantly disparage the President (whoever he happens to be at the time). I remind them that, as Christians, we are called on to pray for our President. The usual response I get is, "Well I pray for him, BUT..." and they proceed with a litany of everything they don't like about him.

There is no "but" here, folks. You either obey God and pray for the President, or you degrade him. Consider James 3:11: "Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? "I know from experience that it is nearly impossible to berate someone if you have been interceding on their behalf. When you pray for the President, you are asking God to work, and trusting Him for the outcome. Being critical of the President shows you are not praying OR trusting God.

And speaking of immigration, here is a good example of prejudice. A local businessman a few years ago posted something on Facebook that my husband and I found particularly disturbing. Immigration was in the news at the time, as it often is, and stricter laws were being considered.This man thought it would be a good idea to dig a moat around the border and fill it with crocodiles -- that way, if anyone tried to cross the border, they would meet their "just fate." I almost threw up when I read it -- because this man purports to be a Christ follower. My husband called him on his hateful post, and was soundly dismissed and told to "lighten up."

The Bible has plenty to say about embracing strangers (Lev. 19: 33-34; Deut. 10:18; Ex. 23:9; Matt. 25:35). We ourselves are "aliens and strangers" according to 1 Peter 2:11. We must remember our citizenship is in heaven, not America.

Ed Stetzer summarizes a healthy worship/nationalism balance in an article titled "Rightful Revelry: Cautions Concerning Combining Patriotism and Worship":
So, be patriotic, love and celebrate your country. And love Jesus and worship God. But be VERY careful when they are near one another.
Enjoy your holiday, but remember our true freedom is in Jesus Christ.