“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers, and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” - Galatians 5:13 NLT

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This coming weekend we will celebrate freedom on the 4th of July. This last phrase of the Galatians scripture encourages us to use our freedom to serve one another in love. We need to speak words of encouragement, words that uplift—not words that demean and criticize with ugly phrases that tear others to shreds.

Our security needs to come from a faith in God’s perfect plan for our lives, providing a sense of peace as we think about the future. God is forever faithful so that we can find our strength in Him. As Jesus said in John 16:33 NIV, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We are called to speak words that make other hearts stronger, not to tear them down. Let’s be less concerned with following our own personal pursuits and take some time to serve those who are less fortunate. Let’s use our words to worship the God who gave everything for us…His life…so that we are assured of eternal life with Him after our time on this earth.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” - Philippians 2: 1-4 NIV

That’s what true freedom looks like. It’s not hurtful posts on Facebook; or criticism of others just for the sake of criticizing without taking the time and effort to know and listen to one another; or destroying property just for the sake of doing so. Let’s stop dishing out gossip freely at the table, in the neighborhood, or at work, without confirming or without any concern about the feeling of others.

The irony of this is that if we stop loving, we are really giving up our freedom. We can become so tangled up with our words that they breed hatred until all goes beyond reason. We forget to love others as God loves us.

July 4th celebrates a significant event in our country’s history. But, let’s not forget what real freedom means for us right here, right now. We don’t need fireworks and picnics to send out a little more love into the world.

You probably remember reading and maybe memorizing at least part of the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE—the part that Thomas Jefferson wrote: “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.”

However, do you also remember learning in school the principles upon which our Founding Fathers built this nation—the foundation of faith our country was founded on.

One of our first great leaders, John Adams, once stated, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”

Also, the following prayer was found in President George Washington’s prayer journal. It beautifully illustrates who our forefathers were looking to for guidance as they were building a new nation on a foundation of faith, Under God.

“Oh, eternal and everlasting God, direct my thoughts, words and work. Wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb and purge my heart by Thy Holy Spirit. Daily, frame me more and more in the likeness of Thy son, Jesus Christ, that living in Thy fear, and dying in Thy favor, I may in thy appointed time obtain the resurrection of the justified unto eternal life. Bless, O Lord, the whole race of mankind and let the world be filled with the knowledge of Thee and Thy son, Jesus Christ.” – George Washington

Please remember to give thanks for our country’s Founding Fathers for building this country on a foundation of faith. We need to thank God for this committee of men and also thank Him for working through His people to lay a solid foundation of faith, structure, unity, and love for all citizens.

But also, let us not forget that our ultimate example of selflessness is given to us by Christ. Galatians 5:1 says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Christ died to give us freedom from sin. Because of this, we praise the Lord for His love, so greatly shown for us when He hung on the cross, gave up His freedom, and died so that we might live.”

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 NLT

Every time we turn on the news these days we hear about the pandemic, rioting, the destruction of property of others and historical remembrances, crises in countries around the world, criticism of our leaders, etc. Yet, we don’t need to live in fear. When our faith is centered in Christ, we can have a sense of peace that only comes from knowing that our times are in His hands.

Remember to say a prayer daily for our nation, our leaders, and a prayer for our military families and troops, as we remember what our country was founded on.

- Excerpts from a devotion by Holly Gerth

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“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” — Mark Twain

“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” — Abraham Lincoln

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