Tuesday, July 4, 2017

{Not} Another Patriotic DevoBy Lexi Cole Ellis

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
 
Am I allowed to say that? Don’t get me wrong. I really don’t want to be unpatriotic. I love my country. But when I looked at the calendar and saw that July 4th fell on a Tuesday, I knew it would be nice to have a patriotic devotional. But there’s this small, tiny part of me that gets nervous. Haven’t we exhausted all of the analogies and connections? Is there really anything new to say? Have all of the “Fourth of July” connections to God’s Truth been done?

Reflect on these familiar July 4th parallels.
  • As we celebrate our nation’s independence, may we strive to be people who pursue our dependence on God. 
  • Our freedom isn’t free - - whether it be our military families’ sacrifice, or Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
  • Our allegiance to our country matters, yet it should only pale in the allegiance we have to our God.
So many directions I could go. And yet, maybe that’s the point.
  • Maybe we do need to stop and reflect, even if it’s a familiar message, because it’s oh-so-easy to minimize or forget that our God has rescued us. That we need to depend on Him.
  •  Maybe, in our Christian circles, it’s easy to gloss over and not realize the magnitude of Christ’s sacrificial, redeeming work on the cross...for me, for you. Because today - - as we celebrate our freedom - - we realize that Death and Shame and Guilt DO NOT own us. We’re free from their crushing weight.
  • Maybe it’s 100% appropriate and necessary to be reminded that we are called to allegiance and action. This democracy experiment that we have in our country requires it. It requires informed participation. It is right to be reminded today that the gospel requires not only allegiance, but action. Believers need to kneel in prayer, and then stand up for biblical justice.
Yes, maybe we do need another patriotic devotional. Because we celebrate our freedom today...in our country and in the relationship we can have with our God. Because we are thankful for those who sacrificed for that freedom...from those who serve in our military and for our Savior who paved the way for a relationship with Himself. Because we are called to allegiance and action...in our democracy and, as the Church, in our longing to be the active hands and feet of Christ.

GOING DEEPER:
1.      Isn’t it beautiful how many patriotic parallels there are to our lives as followers of Jesus? Which one resonated today?
2.      Take some time to be alone with the Lord today; include moments of just thanking Him.


Lexi and her husband, Andrew, have an adorable dog named Calvin. She teaches sixth grade Reading and Writing and serves with Children’s Ministries and is the Fresh Start Coordinator. 
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