Loving My Country (Kevin Shrum)
February 9, 2012
If you’re an American you have every right to be thankful that God has so graciously allowed you to be born in the greatest nation on the face of the earth. As American Christians we often ask ourselves, ‘What does it mean to be a Christian and a good citizen?’ It’s easy to ask this question in a country known for its freedom and liberty. But this question is also asked by all believers no matter their country of origin. So, how can we be good Christians and good citizens at the same time?
We are good citizens when we are good neighbors. We are good citizens when we love our neighbors. We are good citizens when we pray for our nation, her leaders and her direction. We are also good citizens when we share the good news with the lost, knowing that a nation is not ultimately changed from the top down but from the bottom up as the hearts of each person is turned toward the Lord. We are good citizens when we speak the truth in love.
The church must be right in the center of this kind of national movement. The church is not a political machine or a subset of a political party. The church is free and independent. The church is God’s kingdom representative on earth to herald the good news and seek the justice and righteousness of God on earth just as it is in heaven (Mt. 6:9.10). Let us love our country by first loving our God and then by being a witness to the gospel that changes the hearts of men and women.
