Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Loving Service


Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ                
Colossians 3:23-24

The Fourth of July reminds us that our country was founded on the way things ought to be.  Christian men and women, following their faith and applying it to all aspects of their lives, decided that once and for all there should be a place where people can live in freedom.  They modeled this society on the Christian ideals they were raised with and which was the driving force of their lives.  We rightly remember their achievement with fireworks and family celebrations.  But most of all, we must remember that this great country was founded on the freedom that God created for all of us.  The Declaration of Independence states, “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”.   Everything that comes after this declaration, all of our government and society, is based on this thought: God created us to live a certain way.
As Christians, we know that way.  In America, we can read about it in our bibles whenever and wherever we want.  Not all have that same luxury.  In some places in the world, it is a crime punishable by death to be a Christian.  Some things we can help change but others we can not.  We need to try to do our very best to make sure everyone knows about Christ.  We must live right, pray always, and share Christ in loving service to the Father who has given us everything.  Thankfully, because of those people a few hundred years ago, we have that opportunity here in this country.  While we give thanks for them, let’s remember that we are serving the living God above all else with everything we do.  Let’s let others see the freedom, joy, and love that God placed in our lives through Christ by the way we live our lives here and now in this great country.