Happy 250th Fourth of July!
Happy Fourth of July to you and your family!
I hope you are finding time to rest and enjoy the freedoms we experience in this imperfect, yet wonderfully free, country. This year is especially significant as our nation celebrates 250 years of American independence. While our history has been marked by both triumphs and trials, I am grateful for the liberty we have to worship, serve, and share the hope of Christ. May we never take those freedoms for granted.
Today, my family is spread out from the East Coast to the West Coast, and even abroad. In fact, Preston and I will celebrate the 4th of July alone this year. Secretly, we are headed to the beach to sit under an SPF 50 tent and enjoy the ocean waves. We will quietly enjoy the waves and the sun, then celebrate by watching the fireworks at night’s end. For us, it’s a bittersweet season, where you know your children are living beautiful lives but don’t live close enough to spend as much time as you would like.
For those of you who have loved ones close and plan to be together, remember the freedoms we have to express our faith, to love freely, and to live boldly what God has done for us. Pull the family close and love them well. Make space for celebration. No pressure. No expectations. Just rest, laughter, and time together. A drama-free zone!
I am reminded of what Jesus spoke concerning the key to freedom in John 8:31–32:
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Those words remind me that while we celebrate our nation’s freedom today, there is an even greater freedom available through Christ. Our Pledge of Allegiance declares that we are “one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” As we commemorate America’s 250th birthday, may we also remember that true liberty begins with surrendering our lives to Jesus. We must keep Him first by abiding in His Word, being teachable disciples, speaking the truth, living the truth, and showing others what it truly means to be free.
Each day we choose how we will respond to the life in front of us. As ministry leaders—and for those we love—we must intentionally embrace the truth of abiding in Him.
Galatians 5:1 speaks to this truth: “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” (NLT)
or
Galatians 5:1 (NASB) “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Let’s live in the freedom the Lord has given us! He died to set us free! – No matter what’s going on in this land we are living in – you and I are free to proclaim the good news of the Truth that sets us FREE! Not everyone in the world is able to do this without fear of persecution or punishment, even death. Let’s not take our religious freedoms in our country for granted, but let us live free every day.
Happy 250th Birthday, America!
Happy 4th of July, sweet women! Praying for you!!!
