“It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government.”
George Washington, Farewell Address (1796)
On Sunday, I communicated that we ought as believers be very careful not to put political parties above our allegiance to Christ. And it has been said multiple times that we are to take a Biblically informed conscience into the voting booth with us. So, having mentioned these things, I simply want to ask, what does a wholesome patriotism look like? And for our devotional thought, we are going to let pastor Andy Naselli answer that. Dr. Naselli writes:
A typical way to define patriotism is “having or expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country.” As a Christian, should you feel guilty for being patriotic? No.
- I’m not talking about blind patriotism in which you can never criticize your nation or its leaders.
- Nor am I talking about an idolatrous patriotism in which you essentially worship your country rather than God.
- I’m talking about a wholesome patriotism in which you promote the good for your nation, which means that sometimes you should criticize your government authorities when they rebel against God’s design for government. A wholesome patriotism is full of gratitude to God. That’s my primary claim right now.
A wholesome patriotism rightly orders what you love. You love God supremely, but that doesn’t mean that you must hate everything else. I love my wife and my daughters and my church and my city and my state and my country. (I also love steak and Chipotle burrito bowls and Minnesota summers and Minnesota’s North Shore and music by Bach and Beethoven.) It’s okay to love more than one thing. You need wisdom to order what you love. And when you have a wholesome patriotism, you love your country in a way that is fitting. In short, you are full of gratitude to God for your country.
To continue reading Andy Naselli’s helpful article, please go to: https://andynaselli.com/a-wholesome-patriotism-is-full-of-gratitude-to-god
Have a blessed and safe 4th of July and we will see many of you this Sunday.
Privileged to serve,
Pastor Dale
