Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - Has God Blessed America？

00:00:00.000 Hey guys, happy 4th of July. This is just a little mini shout out to the United States of America

00:00:06.760 as we are celebrating its independence today. I am a very patriotic person. I still cry when I sing

00:00:14.640 the national anthem at a baseball game and even sometimes the Pledge of Allegiance. I just love

00:00:21.420 and I'm so grateful for the ideas and ideals upon which we were founded. You don't have to tell me

00:00:27.200 that we are not a perfect country, that we have not been a perfect country, that injustices have

00:00:32.320 been perpetuated throughout our history, that injustices are still unfortunately perpetrated

00:00:39.440 today. We have learned probably more than ever over the past few years how corrupt so many of

00:00:46.880 our leaders are. Our bureaucratic state has turned itself in many ways against its own people.

00:00:53.520 And so I celebrate America not because she's perfect, not because she does no wrong, not

00:00:59.420 because there aren't some really, really big things to change and to fight for, but because I believe

00:01:06.420 that the values upon which we were established are the greatest values that a country could be

00:01:15.160 founded on. The idea that all men were created equal, the idea of inherent rights that come from a

00:01:22.700 creator whose authority is transcendent and supreme and above the government, the idea of self-governance,

00:01:30.600 of freedom of speech, of freedom of religion. There is no other country in the world that has

00:01:36.540 championed these things as well as the United States has. And it takes vigilance, it takes dedication,

00:01:44.620 it takes commitment on our part to make sure that we are keeping those things. I mean,

00:01:49.660 it takes really a constant struggle to ensure that liberty is passed down from one generation to the

00:01:56.360 next. And I understand we feel constantly on our side of the aisle that it's slipping through our

00:02:01.700 fingers, like the powers that be who are pushing against this liberty and against these founding values

00:02:08.780 and principles are so strong and are so unbeatable. And yet we have a duty as citizens of the United

00:02:18.680 States, as people that God has providentially placed in this country to do everything we can

00:02:25.380 to defend those rights and to advocate for those rights. God has placed us here and now specifically

00:02:32.180 and with purpose. And that purpose is, of course, to glorify Him, to serve Him with joy and with

00:02:39.760 excellence. But part of that obedience to God is to ensure that we are making better every sphere that

00:02:47.000 we occupy, that we are infusing every sphere of life with as much light and as much truth and as much

00:02:55.040 goodness as we possibly can. There is nothing that is not God's ultimately. So that includes civic life,

00:03:01.840 that includes our engagement with politics and culture. We don't check our Christian worldview at

00:03:06.700 the door when we are raising a respectful ruckus for the things that matter. We allow the truth of

00:03:14.000 scripture, the truth of God's word, the truth of the gospel to motivate us and inspire us to push for

00:03:21.920 positive change that affects people in a way that promotes their well-being. That is what Christians have

00:03:29.720 done for thousands of years, not just engagement in politics and culture, but also through the

00:03:35.240 creation of charities and organizations and all different kinds of entities that have served

00:03:40.540 the human race and that have served the most vulnerable. That's what we continue to do. We

00:03:45.980 continue to be good and responsible and generous and loving and charitable and joyful citizens. And

00:03:52.700 thank God that we live in a country that allows us to do that freely. Yes, I know we often mourn the loss,

00:03:59.080 of things or the minimization of things like religious liberty and other kinds of freedoms

00:04:05.700 in the United States. But the fact of the matter is there are many, many countries in the world today

00:04:10.560 where you cannot practice your religion at all. You cannot share the gospel. You cannot worship. 0.78

00:04:15.960 You cannot pray publicly without fear of imprisonment, without fear of death. We do not have to fear that

00:04:22.440 here in the United States today. And so we should be taking advantage of every opportunity we have

00:04:27.740 to make sure that we are exercising our religious liberty in a way that glorifies God and benefits

00:04:35.500 those around us. So be thankful for that. I know it's easy to get discouraged with the depravity that

00:04:42.140 we see in our culture and the corruption that we see in our government. It's easy to not feel

00:04:46.080 patriotic. But think of patriotism as just gratitude to God for placing you here and for placing you at the

00:04:54.760 time that he did. And think of it as a way to praise him, as a way to thank him for his goodness and for

00:05:07.020 his sovereignty. People who say that we shouldn't feel patriotic as Christians, that to me is just a

00:05:12.980 sense of bitterness and resentment that is simply not befitting a Christian. And so ensure today that 1.00

00:05:21.900 your day is characterized by gratitude to the Lord for putting you here in such a wonderful country.

00:05:27.980 I know that's how I am going to be spending today. I'm thankful to all of you. I'm thankful to the

00:05:32.540 relatable audience. I'm thankful to you guys for listening and for watching every day. You guys are

00:05:39.100 the best, and I hope that you have a wonderful day spending it with your family. We will see you back

00:05:44.020 here tomorrow.

Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey - July 04, 2022

Has God Blessed America？

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