What is Patriotism?
In 1828, Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language said: love of one's country; the passion which aims to serve one's country, either in defending it from invasion, our protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. Patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.
In 2004 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has reduced that to simply: Love for or devotion to ones country. What a difference! Here, patriotism is reduced to an emotion.
True patriotism is not just an emotional feeling; it is action. It starts with love for country but moves to specific actions: service to country, defense of country, protection of the rights of the country, maintenance of the laws and institutions of the country, and preservation of religion and morality in public and private life. This kind of patriotism puts the needs of the country above personal or partisan desires. (Quoted from In God We Still Trust, a 365-Day Devotional by Dr. Richard G. Lee.)
Is this not true of all love? It may begin as an emotion, a feeling, but it is not really love unless it propels us to action. For God so loved the word, He gave........and He gave big! He gave that which was most precious to Him because He saw our need. And Jesus gave. He saw His Father's passion to have His creation reconciled back to Himself. He saw our utter hopelessness. His love for us, as well as His love for the Father, compelled Him to give everything.
What do you love? What do I love? What has that love asked of me? Our first love should be the Father. This love should govern what we do, how we speak, how we spend our time, what is important to us, who we surround ourselves with, etc., not because we have to, but our love drives us to these choices. There are many things that draw our love. Hopefully one of those things is our country. Are you a patriot? Do you love this nation? What has that love asked of you? Are you informed on national issues? Do you search for truth when voting? Do you vote? Do you cover our leaders and our land in prayer? Do you recognize your God-given authority to declare His word over this land? Do you recognize that only those foundations built on The Rock will stand.......including this land? Just some points for thought. Many others could be added.
Thankfully this nation has Godly foundations, even if in these humanistic times many would try to rewrite history. There are many, many historical documents that prove it, but for today, I would like to return to a quote I gathered from Dr. Richard Lee. This is a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1939 State of the Union Address, given while Hitler was moving through Europe:
Storms from abroad directly challenge three institutions indispenable to Americans, now as always. The first is religion. It is the source of the other two -- democracy and international good faith. Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches him to respect himself by respecting his neighbors. Democracy, the practice of self-government, is a covenant among free men to respect the rights and liberties of their fellows. International good faith, a sister to democracy, springs from the will of civilized nations of men to respect the rights and liberties of other nations of men...... There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend, not their homes alone, but the tenets of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments, and their very civilization is founded. The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among nations is all the same fight. To save one we must now make up our minds to save all.
Lord, my prayer is that you would show each and everyone of us the personal and unique expression of love that you would have of us for our nation. What is that thing that Your love compels us to do on behalf of this nation, a nation that has largely forgotten her roots and thinks she can stand in her own strength? We cry for mercy and ask that you use us to help lead her back down the path you have set before her. Let her once again find her strength in You, giving you all honor and glory for the blessings you have poured out upon her. Let us never find ourselves out from under the shadow of Your wing of protection. And may the church rise up to her place of Kingdom Authority and delcare Your rule and reign over every facet of our society. Let your Word go forth in our schools and businesses, in our government and in our families, in our personal and national finances and economic systems, in our laws and judicial leaders, in our health industries and media outlets, in our entertainment industries and fields of technology. In all things, let your word be sounded like a trumpet over this land by Your people who are called by Your name. Let us humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face. Let us search our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us. If so, let us turn from those ways, so that we may approach You with a clear heart and opened ears. We know that if we do those things You will be faithful to Your Word to hear from heaven and heal our land. And we will be faithful to serve this land and establish Your Word everywhere you have placed us, because we go as ones forgiven, standing in the strength of our Lord!
In 1828, Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language said: love of one's country; the passion which aims to serve one's country, either in defending it from invasion, our protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. Patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.
In 2004 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has reduced that to simply: Love for or devotion to ones country. What a difference! Here, patriotism is reduced to an emotion.
True patriotism is not just an emotional feeling; it is action. It starts with love for country but moves to specific actions: service to country, defense of country, protection of the rights of the country, maintenance of the laws and institutions of the country, and preservation of religion and morality in public and private life. This kind of patriotism puts the needs of the country above personal or partisan desires. (Quoted from In God We Still Trust, a 365-Day Devotional by Dr. Richard G. Lee.)
Is this not true of all love? It may begin as an emotion, a feeling, but it is not really love unless it propels us to action. For God so loved the word, He gave........and He gave big! He gave that which was most precious to Him because He saw our need. And Jesus gave. He saw His Father's passion to have His creation reconciled back to Himself. He saw our utter hopelessness. His love for us, as well as His love for the Father, compelled Him to give everything.
What do you love? What do I love? What has that love asked of me? Our first love should be the Father. This love should govern what we do, how we speak, how we spend our time, what is important to us, who we surround ourselves with, etc., not because we have to, but our love drives us to these choices. There are many things that draw our love. Hopefully one of those things is our country. Are you a patriot? Do you love this nation? What has that love asked of you? Are you informed on national issues? Do you search for truth when voting? Do you vote? Do you cover our leaders and our land in prayer? Do you recognize your God-given authority to declare His word over this land? Do you recognize that only those foundations built on The Rock will stand.......including this land? Just some points for thought. Many others could be added.
Thankfully this nation has Godly foundations, even if in these humanistic times many would try to rewrite history. There are many, many historical documents that prove it, but for today, I would like to return to a quote I gathered from Dr. Richard Lee. This is a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1939 State of the Union Address, given while Hitler was moving through Europe:
Storms from abroad directly challenge three institutions indispenable to Americans, now as always. The first is religion. It is the source of the other two -- democracy and international good faith. Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches him to respect himself by respecting his neighbors. Democracy, the practice of self-government, is a covenant among free men to respect the rights and liberties of their fellows. International good faith, a sister to democracy, springs from the will of civilized nations of men to respect the rights and liberties of other nations of men...... There comes a time in the affairs of men when they must prepare to defend, not their homes alone, but the tenets of faith and humanity on which their churches, their governments, and their very civilization is founded. The defense of religion, of democracy, and of good faith among nations is all the same fight. To save one we must now make up our minds to save all.
Lord, my prayer is that you would show each and everyone of us the personal and unique expression of love that you would have of us for our nation. What is that thing that Your love compels us to do on behalf of this nation, a nation that has largely forgotten her roots and thinks she can stand in her own strength? We cry for mercy and ask that you use us to help lead her back down the path you have set before her. Let her once again find her strength in You, giving you all honor and glory for the blessings you have poured out upon her. Let us never find ourselves out from under the shadow of Your wing of protection. And may the church rise up to her place of Kingdom Authority and delcare Your rule and reign over every facet of our society. Let your Word go forth in our schools and businesses, in our government and in our families, in our personal and national finances and economic systems, in our laws and judicial leaders, in our health industries and media outlets, in our entertainment industries and fields of technology. In all things, let your word be sounded like a trumpet over this land by Your people who are called by Your name. Let us humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face. Let us search our hearts to see if there is any wicked way in us. If so, let us turn from those ways, so that we may approach You with a clear heart and opened ears. We know that if we do those things You will be faithful to Your Word to hear from heaven and heal our land. And we will be faithful to serve this land and establish Your Word everywhere you have placed us, because we go as ones forgiven, standing in the strength of our Lord!