Week 22 2013 This World Is Not My Home

At times I find myself getting so wrapped up in current politics that I miss the big picture.  As a patriotic American who volunteered to serve his country in the middle of one of our most unpopular wars, Vietnam, I love the nation I was born into.  The United States of America has always represented to me a nation that has been chosen by God to be a beacon to the world, a light that shines brighter than any other, because she demonstrates the freedom Christ died in order to bring to anyone and everyone who would choose to make Him the Lord of their life!  Indeed, the founding fathers held this view, seeing America as the city upon the hill, beaconing all who were weary to its shores, so that any who would choose to live here might be free to worship and live as they please without government intrusion.  They acknowledged the Father as the only true supreme commander, the only King!  In our Declaration of Independence from a nation whose government had stifled freedom, we boldly proclaim, “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.”  My heart swells when I look at our banner flying, and our men and women in uniform.  For two centuries the U.S. has represented freedom, and peoples from every nation have come to our land to escape intrusive government and enjoy a land of opportunity.

However, in my lifetime I have witnessed the gradual degradation of our freedoms.  Our government has become increasingly intrusive, dictating what we can eat and drink, where we can live, what land we can place our feet on, where we can travel, how we receive medical treatment.  And then, to add salt to wounds, our government demands that we foot the bill for their intrusion on our liberty!  Taxes are more than triple what they were when we declared our independence from England, yet the politicians want to increase our tax burden even more!  The very first “unalienable” right, life, has been denied to millions of unborn babies by a Supreme Court that is supposed to be in place to guarantee our rights.  If you think our liberty isn’t being infringed upon try having a chronic medical issue that requires medications that our government has deemed to be dangerous.  Our doctors and pharmacists’ hands are being tied by federal and state regulations.  Pursuit of happiness is a foreign concept to someone who has been born under bondage to a welfare system that strips people of their dignity and self-respect.  I spent too many years in the classroom, listening to young people who had no hope for the future because the government had been supporting their families for generations.  While opportunity is proclaimed a right for every citizen, in practice opportunity is denied to those who refuse to follow the dictates of superiors in education and government.  America is still the land of the free, but not as much as she used to be.  I am not as optimistic about her future as I once was.  Which brings me back to where I started.

Although a loyal American, I am first and foremost a Christian!  My true citizenship lies not in an earthly nation, but in one that is not of the world.  I am a stranger and an alien in this world (Hebrews 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11).  I must remind myself that earthly kingdoms come and go, but our heavenly kingdom is eternal.  Therefore, I should keep my eyes focused on Jesus, understanding that He is in control.  As mortals, we are prone to follow leaders who lead us astray.  History has demonstrated this sad fact.  Worldly leaders are deceptive, and America is not immune to that sort of deception.  However, our God will never lead us astray, and there is no deception in Him!  On that we can depend and boldly proclaim, “This world is not my home.  I’m just a passing through.”