“PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN”? There is a song that says (or sings that is): And I’m proud to be an American,where at least I know I’m free.And I wont forget the men who died,who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up,next to you and defend her still today.‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,God bless the USA. I am glad to have the freedoms I have. I am thankful to have the freedoms I have. However, as Jesus Christ Follower, we are commanded “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess 5:18). So, wherever I live, whether I was born there, or move there, whatever freedoms I have or don’t have- I am to “Give thanks in all circumstances”. Being glad/thankful and being PROUD are two very different things. I say to my kids all the time- “I am proud of you”, but what am I really saying? If I am saying I am glad, happy for whom God made you, then why not say that? If I am saying that when I see you I feel a sense of importance, pride, self-worth because YOU ARE MINE- then how does that honor God? The Bible has a ton to say about being Proud. Proverbs 3: 34 He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. 15: 25 The LORD tears down the proud man's house but he keeps the widow's boundaries intact. 16: 5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. 16: 12 Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. 21: 24 The proud and arrogant man-- "Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride. Romans 12: 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, James 4: 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5: 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. God hates the proud heart and proud man (who remains in his pride). Pride was the evil that started this whole Fall off. Satan was proud! Isn’t pride saying- I am as awesome as God? Isn’t that the real heart of pride? I bring this up because every time I here someone say they are proud of ______________ and it is personal, what I see is contention in there life. For many, proud to be an American means being white and having a disdain towards others that are of various ethnic backgrounds, lately especially Spanish speaking people. For others they are proud to be African American. And what it seems to do is keep the division that for so long has been fought. For others it’s proud of soldiers: which at the end means people dying, both our soldiers and others. I am not anti-military. My Grandpa, dad, brother, brother in law, and even I served in the armed forces. I understand their duty, but it is still a terrible thing when people die. “ Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezek 18:23) What is there to be proud of? Killing? Freedom (at the price of death)? Should we rejoice when Iraqi people, civilian or soldier dies! I don’t know. I struggle with this. Don’t get me wrong, I was in the army during the Gulf war, and my unit was put on alert a couple of times, although we never were deployed. I am sure that both then and now I would do whatever to live. That is life in us- live! Which sometimes means kill. But shouldn’t there be a sense of sorrow? Isn’t all of this the result of sin? In Genesis 11, people were full of pride. That pride led them to attempt to build a Tower into the heavens. Make no mistake though; there was no real unity with these people. Each was interested in his/her own fame, not that of God’s, certainly not the human race. They were all full of selfish ambition and bitter envy…James 3: 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. This seems to be a great commentary on those alive in Genesis 11 (or really any alive since Genesis 3). So, God didn’t really confuse the people, but rather exposed the confusion and selfish ambition and bitter envy that already existed. What a gracious God! What does it mean to be PROUD to BE AN AMERICAN? If it is good, then we desperately need to reword how we say it. But I don’t think it is good at the heart. I believe it is what is says it is> PROUD. Everywhere I see people being Proud of America, or anything, I see hate. So, I enjoy the freedoms of America, and I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to live here, I am not Proud to be an American. I am not even Proud to be a Christ Follower. I am humbled. I am humbled that God would save a wretched, proud, bitterly envious, desperately selfish in ambition sinner like me. My boast is in the Cross. (Even when I say that I have wicked pride- Oh, will deliver me from this body of Death? Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us the victory!) I am sure I this will royally piss some people off, but the question is: WHY? Is it because we are full of wicked PRIDE and we are robbing God of HIS SUPREMACY? Changing language won’t change our hearts, but the gospel will. The more we point to Jesus Christ- 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."-the more we do that, the more we shall realize that Jesus mission wasn’t exclusively about America, neither is America central to it. Jesus is central and His church is filled with peoples from every land, every nation, every tongue, and every tribe! So, for those of us who have been blessed with the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ- let’s be humble and loving for the glory of God in Jesus Christ and for the joy of the peoples (and our’s also). Proud of me way too much, humbled by Jesus’ grace- s