Why I am a Patriot

As a believer in Jesus Christ, is it also possible to be a lover of country?  Paul teaches in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven.  Is it possible that we are able to have duel citizenship, on earth and in heaven?  Or are we to think of our nation as a type of Babylon in which we are held temporarily captive.  When Joseph was sold into slavery, found living and even imprisoned in Egypt, what was his attitude toward his captors?  Then, as fate would have it, he was raised up to be second in command over a great nation.  How did Joseph understand his relationship as a citizen of Egypt?  Did he see the faults of Egypt?  Did he see that God had a purpose and a destiny for Egypt that would bless much of the known world?  Did he understand also, that God had a purpose and destiny for his own life that was greater than Egypt or the sum measure of his own personal history? These are some of the questions to ponder as we consider how to identify as both a citizen of heaven and a citizen of an earthly nation.

When God made us, He placed us on the earth.  We were designed by God to be born into a particular nation, at a particular time in history.  These, among other things, are critical aspects of our identity.  To discover wholeness (peace) in this life, it is imperative that we embrace this reality.  If we only say to ourselves, “I am a citizen of heaven,” and reject the reality of nationality, we will be discontent because we are rejecting something God has intended for us.  The second great commandment Jesus stated is that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Loving ones self is an intentional act of embracing all of the features God has given to us, being thankful for those features and appreciating them as part of God’s destiny for our lives as well as His mark of ownership upon us.  The nation of our birth is a critical component

Based on this simple fact alone, it is biblical and good to say, “I love my country.”  Even if it is an adopted country, as in Joseph’s case, he eventually understood that God’s purpose in his life involved an Egypt that he was called to serve at the highest level.  The struggle comes in knowing that Egypt is flawed, as is America, as is Babylon, as is any earthly nation and that heaven is perfect.  If we must choose between a team that wins 100% of the time and a team that is struggling almost all of the time, of course, we want to choose the winning team.  But God has called us to be on two teams, a heavenly team and an earthly team. His ultimate purpose is to make heaven and earth one perfect team.  In Ephesians chapter one Paul writes about the mystery of His will being to “unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things in earth.”  Somehow, we get to be involved and participate in this great mystery of heaven and earth uniting.  When Jesus said that we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, He was telling us that the earth is a dark place and we, His disciples are to light it up.  He was telling us that earth compared to heaven is tasteless.  We add the flavor of heaven! What a glorious assignment!

There is a battle going on between good and evil.  Sometimes, living on earth it is easiest to get caught up in fighting all the bad stuff. Of course, we know there is corruption in our government.  We know that we have crime on the streets, children being abused, families breaking up, nations practicing genocide and the list could go on and on.  There are a lot of dark things happening in the earth, but we must understand that the ultimate solutions to these problems are Jesus Christ and His perfect government.  An old Gospel singer Andre Crouch sang, “Jesus is the Answer.” Sounds too simple but it is the truth. There are a lot of people with many ideas on how to fix the problems.  Ultimately, Jesus and His wisdom is the answer to all of our problems. So whatever the fix, if it is not a Jesus fix it is not the right fix.  It would be nice if He would just fix it all right now, however, for some mysterious reason, God is allowing a battle on earth to be played out over the centuries.  So yes, we have wars, pestilence, suffering, injustice and all kinds of struggles in this life to face.  As His disciples, we are being trained in the battle, and we are learning to be salt and light.

With all of this in mind, why do I love my country?  Why do I love to stand up at sporting events and sing the national anthem or God Bless America?  Why am I so proud of my children for all of their unique contributions in making their communities a better place?  Maybe, because America is in the process of fulfilling it’s divine destiny, and I have a critical role to play.  America is far from perfect but it is the team I am on and I have every intention to play hard, seek God’s wisdom and be a part of solutions and not problems.

I love America because I love the land God has created.  One of my greatest joys is travelling from sea to shining sea and seeing all the amazing sites.  The list of beautiful and spectacular places to visit seems almost endless.  I love America because it’s history is one that reflects people very passionate about living in a place where freedom and liberty are crucial attributes and the concept of law and order are considered absolutely imperative.  I recently visited the back side of the Supreme Court in Washington DC.  Because of civil unrest, a bad day of violent protests and political maneuvering, there is a fence with razor wire all around the capital, supreme court and other government buildings.  We were praying and worshiping on the street and I noticed these words inscribed on the back of the Supreme Court building: "Justice the Guardian of Liberty".  In other words, to the degree that we have justice, we have liberty.  I was sad because, my liberty to even touch a building representing justice for all, that belongs to the citizens, was taken away.  But I still love America because it's identity and purpose is Justice for All, even though it falls short.

Do we always get it right? Of course not!  Sometimes we are so quick to judge our nation as evil and forget to look at ourselves and remember our weaknesses and flaws.  We go after Thomas Jefferson as a slave owner but forget the context of his time in history and that he wrote a constitution with the dream of ending slavery.  We over simplify the process and timing of past evils and somehow pretend that we could have done it better.  I do not think so.  We see military operations as cruel and selfish endeavors and forget the perspective of just war and peacemaking operations.  We are quick to judge another’s opinion and “cancel” their ideas but forget that we have been blessed to live in a country where different opinions were meant to be welcomed, respected and debated.

I love America because one of my fellow citizens invented the cotton gin, the assembly line and so many cures for terrible diseases. I am proud to be on the same team of sport legends such as Reggie White, Katie Ledecky, and John Wooden.  I was outside the arena when the miracle on ice happened at Lake Placid in 1980.  I love to watch the Olympics and see the greatest athletes in the world competing to be the best and greatest of all time.  I really love it when the American flag goes up because a medal was achieved for my team.

I love America because we send missionaries all over the world to spread the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We support these various mission movements with finances and prayer.  Many of my friends have dedicated their lives to serve in another nation.  I love that we rush to help when catastrophe strikes, not just in our own country, but all over the world.  Surely, that is something worthy of love.

I love the fact that there are interstate highways, roads and streets connecting all of us to one another.   I can get in an automobile that I personally own, stored in my garage and drive anywhere I want across this vast nation.   I love the wastewater treatment plants in every community that do such an amazing job of keeping our water clean.  I love America because we have this incredible network of communication and electricity.  The power almost never goes out and I can call people all over the world at very little cost.

I love America because if I fall and break my arm or get in an auto accident, a first responder has a tremendous desire to get to me quickly and do everything in their power to provide help.  We have hospitals, surgeons and medical professionals dedicated to helping me stay healthy.

I love America because I can send my son or daughter to a youth camp where they can learn new things and have life changing experiences, build friendships and have a ton of fun. I have the freedom to use a public school, private or homeschool as a way to educate my child.  I can go to a local supermarket and all of the shelves are full of food, in a variety that feels almost endless.  I can go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal with my family or take a trip to an amusement park for the only purpose of being together and having fun.

I love America because I can improve my present position.  I can find a better job.  I can work in a job that is fulfilling and I can advance my education.  I love America because I can go to whatever church I want to or no church at all.  I have freedom and in this freedom, I can chose to follow my understanding of God’s plan for my life and do it with great passion and desire.

There are so many other reasons to love America, but I hope I have made the point.  It feels so good to stand up and sing, and thank God for His blessings on our nation.  I am an American patriot and committed to seeing a decrease in the works of darkness and an increase in the goodness and blessings of God.  My love for America extends beyond its borders.  For God so loved the world and so should I.  May God’s Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.