Happy Birthday, America!
Wow … 250 years young, you’ve lived a lot longer than anybody expected! I can remember when we first met. I recited the “Pledge of Allegiance” each day in elementary school. Do you remember when I learned to properly sing The Star-Spangled Banner” in middle school but was scolded for shouting “Play Ball!” at the end (I’m still really sorry for that!)? And of course, you know about my little boy dream, how I wanted to be a pilot in your Air Force! Too bad I am color blind. Please don’t tell, but I still have my toy fighter jet on my desk for work! We really do go way back.
I’ve been very excited for your birthday this year. But I have no specific event or activity to elevate this excitement beyond year’s past. I’ve thought a good deal lately on why … and for full disclosure, I’ve always been a proud American … proudly employed to serve the federal government and serve our war fighters, flying a flag from our home & camp, vocal supporter of this grand experiment, lover of US national sport teams, etc. What I’ve discerned … is that I’ve been reflecting on my gratefulness.
Because of gratitude, I’ve found myself reflecting on everything that had to go right for me to be standing here today. None of us begins our story alone. Every one of us inherits something from those who came before us. Some inherit wealth. Others inherit hardship. Some inherit stability. Others inherit struggle. We don’t choose where our story begins, but we all choose what we’ll build upon the foundation we’ve been given.
I’ve been grateful for the opportunities I have had in this country. Grateful for the opportunities my great-grandparents had to immigrate here, grateful for a grandfather who served in WWII, grateful for a grandfather who was president of the local steel mill union, grateful for grandmothers that raised my parents well. One generation begot the next. Each child had a choice … to build their lives on what their parents had built before them. Choices to serve, work, move, marry, and place their faith in Jesus.
Freedom of opportunity -> Freedom of choice -> Freedom to Build
Seriously, America, how have you been able to keep it going this long? I’ve heard the stories, I’ve seen the tape, you’ve been down and out, battered & bruised! You’ve survived wars, economic collapse, political corruption, cultural revolutions, terrorism, pandemics, and predictions of your demise. You’ve sure seen it all. I cannot believe you just didn’t give up years ago. What’s your secret?
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.
… laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
I’m confused. What does a declaration of God-given equality, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness have to do with your longevity? Those are noble ideals, but ideals alone don’t hold a nation together. People are imperfect. We can be selfish, prideful, jealous, and divided. Freedom without responsibility eventually consumes itself. So perhaps there needed to be something more than lofty principles. Perhaps there also needed to be governance—not to create liberty, but to preserve it.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/preamble
I see. Your governance wasn’t created to grant liberty; it was established to secure the blessings of liberty that were known to come from our Creator. Government was intended to protect freedom, not become its source. But it’s still been chaotic out there, I’ve watched the news. We all seem convinced the nation is coming apart. So, when does the chaos end?
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ISA.30.18.NIV
Ahh, that’s right, you’ve always reminded me of this. Justice ultimately flows from God. You may be an instrument through which justice is carried out, but you will never be the source of perfect justice. Governments succeed and fail. Political parties move and shift. Leaders come and go. Our lasting hope was never intended to rest in Washington, but in the empty tomb. Freedom from sin is infinitely greater than freedom from tyranny. Nations can protect our earthly liberties, but only Jesus can secure our eternal freedom.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ROM.8.1-2.NIV
“For the believer there is hope beyond the grave, because Jesus Christ has opened the door to heaven for us by His death and resurrection.”
– Billy Graham
He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
https://www.bible.com/bible/111/JOB.12.23.NIV
So, America’s greatness isn’t guaranteed by its military, economy, or Constitution alone. Job reminds us that every nation ultimately answers to God. But, I’m still somewhat confused … you’ve endured for 250 years, shared that Jesus ensures my salvation, yet God also enlarges and disperses nations! Why so fatalistic … on your birthday!?
Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
– John Adams
Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. . . And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.
– George Washington
There it is. Faith & Liberty. That’s why you endured. Thanks for the reminder.
“Privilege” has become a politically loaded word in recent years. I understand why conversations around it can become emotional. But when I think about privilege, I don’t first think about wealth or status. I think about inheritance, not financial inheritance, but the inheritance of faithful choices made by previous generations.
Our Declaration of Independence affirms that we possess the God-given right to pursue happiness. By God’s grace, I’ve experienced opportunities that countless people before me sacrificed to make possible. Praise God, I’ve accomplished much (though He can also take it away). Lord willing, I’ll accomplish more, sharing those blessings with my family and friends. That is my pursuit of happiness.
My wife and I consider ourselves privileged—not because life has been easy, but because our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents stayed married, worked hard, encouraged us to dream, and passed along a legacy of faith. That inheritance didn’t happen accidentally. It was built one decision at a time. Our greatest responsibility now is to preserve and strengthen that same inheritance for our own children.
If someone seeks to diminish my faith or my liberty because of jealousy, pride, or greed, they should expect resistance. Not because those things belong to me alone, but because they are gifts worth preserving for my children. America has faced those challenges before. While we have often fallen short of our ideals, faith and liberty have continually called us back toward something better.
That’s why I’m excited for this Independence Day. More than fireworks, free milkshakes, red white & blue glowsticks, and celebrations, I find myself praying for the next 250 years. My prayer is that my children inherit more than comfort or prosperity. I pray they inherit faith, liberty, gratitude, and the responsibility to steward those blessings well. May they continue pursuing happiness in this nation while faithfully serving the Giver of every good and perfect gift. And perhaps one day, they’ll write their own birthday letter to America, grateful for the same blessings that generations before them chose to protect.
Happy Birthday, America.
