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1 John 2:16-17
“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Proud to be an American today
(Commentary by Kat L)
People have a tendency to be proud of different things, like our work, our country, our home, and our children. While the Bible often talks about pride in a negative way, it can be a perfectly acceptable thing.
Paul praises churches and people, and sometimes it seems a little like he’s gloating about the things they’ve done. God also expressed pride. Once in Jesus Christ when he was baptized, and again when He was transformed (Matthew 3:17; 17:5).
So, when is pride okay? First, we have to acknowledge that our worth comes from God. Paul talked about “boasting” in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:16-33). Galatians 6:1-4 describes the pride that stems from living for God and serving others with humility.
So we see that good pride starts with having the right view of God and understanding our place in the world.
We fall for Satan’s lies when we develop self-pride and inflate our worth, forgetting that God alone is the source of glory. Humility is the key to healthy pride, and it comes from acting through God.
One thing we as Americans pride ourselves on is our country. On a day like today, we are filled with the pride of accomplishment. But we can’t lose sight of the One who made it all possible. Nothing was achieved by man or general that was not through, with, and blessed by God’s hand.
Our forefathers set out to create a nation based on God’s holy principles, where we would have the freedom to choose Him or reject Him, according to His model of freewill, and where we could serve Him without fear of man’s laws limiting us.
The people who declared independence 250 years ago did so with God in mind.
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” — the Declaration of Independence.
Nothing we reached for was outside of God’s hand, and we trusted that God would deliver us. He did.
Today, as we celebrate this country and its rich history, let’s do it with a sense of pride in God’s will and His glorious faithfulness. And as we look forward, let’s do it by putting God in the driver’s seat, and accepting His will in all things.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings you bestowed upon us and America. Thank You for a country of diverse beauty, majestic landscapes, and boundless wonder. Thank You for the opportunities we have. Thank You for our leader, President Trump, and bless him. May He always seek Your will as he leads us into the next chapter in America’s story. We proudly celebrate this day of independence, when people decided that serving You in a land far away was worthwhile. We acknowledge Your hand in the success of this country, and that without You, none of this would be possible. We thank You in Jesus name, AMEN.
