| July 4th is coming up and we all know what that means, right? American flags will come out of the closet. Churches will gear up for their independence day services. Patriotic songs like “God Bless America” and “This Land is Your Land” will be blasted over the radio. OH, and let’s not forget the most important part… FIREWORKS! In all the hustle and bustle going on during this time of year, we can lose sight of where our true patriotism should lie. Let me be clear, it isn’t bad to be patriotic for the country in which we live. Do you meet God with that same enthusiasm? From social media to Sunday morning services, I often see and hear phrases like “this is God’s country”, “God has really blessed America”, “we are a Christian country”, and “I’m so proud to be an America”. We put such a high stock on being an American that I think many people (in America) believe they are a Christian by default. Almost to the point that some actually believe they will be in heaven simply because they live in America. That just simply isn’t the case. We wouldn’t be the only ones to fall into that temptation. Jews were the first ones to think that way, and in fact, Paul addresses this very thing in his writings. He calls people out who believe they are entitled something just because of their ethnicity or a status that they hold. Galatians 3: 28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Here, Paul is tearing down all ‘superior race” complexes people may have as well as tearing down any social elite statuses people may be holding on to. God doesn’t care where we live, He cares about where we stand with Jesus. God doesn’t care what nation or country we live in; He cares about whether we enter His kingdom. God doesn’t care as much about our happiness as He does about our holiness. So in the midst of this season of patriotism let us not forget where our true loyalty should be. God is our king, and heaven is our homeland. Ephesians 2:19-20 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.“ |