Father of Our Country

The Lord, by His Spirit, has given us the capacity to be an influence for Him in the places we are sent by Him. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 states:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Yes, even the way we respond to trials can demonstrate to the world around us the presence of Jesus in us. We can make a responsible statement about our devotion to Him as we show that we love and trust Him - and that we possess a God-given love for others.  We can be so forthright in our obedience that people experience Him when they interact with us. So, we can be mindful of our opportunities to be influential for the sake of the gospel. 

+++++

The Bible speaks of influential Christian believers in 1st Peter chapter 2, where we can find these words:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

On this St. Patrick's Day, it's a great time to reflect on how each of us can be a person of influence,  whose faith impacts the people to whom we are sent, those we are called to serve, relative to some comments I made yesterday.  

I came across an article recently that featured some comments who has been sent to the entertainment industry and has had a tremendous Christian impact. His name is Chuck Norris; yes, that Chuck Norris. Just last week, Chuck turned 83 years old.  U.S. Veterans Magazine, to honor his 80th, shared some favorite Chuck Norris jokes:

• Chuck Norris was once bitten by a cobra. After days of excruciating pain, the cobra passed away.

How about this one:

• Few people know that Chuck Norris has a diary—it’s called the Guinness Book of World Records.

Or, this: 

• Chuck Norris has never had to put gas in his tank. All of his vehicles run on fear.

And...

• When life gave Chuck Norris lemons, he squeezed the lemons and made orange juice.

Well, Chuck Norris loves God and loves America - and you can certainly do both! Movieguide reported on how Chuck Norris extolled one of the founders of our country in a column at WND.com recently, stating:

Norris wrote about Washington’s accolades as a soldier, leader and president, adding that he was a “constant” attendee at church throughout his life.

The actor also cites a video presentation at Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, that details his faith.

In that video, it quotes Washington as saying, "...every man, conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accountable to God alone for his religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshiping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience.”

The video also notes:

It is clear in Washington’s writings that he was a deeply spiritual man, with a strong belief that a benevolent power was acting in his life and in the founding of the United States: “Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.”

Chuck Norris' response?  

“Wow!” Norris marveled. “Does all that sound like it could have come from a deist, who didn’t believe God intervened in the affairs of men? Just the opposite. If only today’s presidents and government officials were as religiously devoted as Washington!”

Movieguide also related: 

He shared Washington’s devotion to praying every day, and Dr. George Tsakiridis, Ph.D, professor of religion at South Dakota State University, even said that Washington did “personal devotions” every morning and evening.

Norris then encouraged his readers to pray the prayer Washington wrote for our country and that Americans still read every day at Mount Vernon’s public wreath-laying ceremony at his tomb...

So, today, we've already covered Chuck Norris, George Washington, and of course, we recognize the contributions of St. Patrick, a man who fulfilled his call to share the gospel.  And, added to the list of influencers - you and me!  We're on the list, so we have to then recognize how God would use us to impact society for the sake of gospel, to do good and glorify God.  

We bring our Christian faith into the areas where we are sent.  Yesterday, I shared from an article that seemed to diss political candidates who embraced their Christian faith.  Again, we need more parents serving on our school boards and attorneys who run for judicial offices - Jason Yates of My Faith Votes illustrates that need on today's Meeting House program.  We need believers who will be salt and light in the workplace, people who follow Christ's instruction to love our neighbor, who will put the needs of their customers foremost, unlike those bankers that put a social agenda over the concerns of their stakeholders.  We need people of influence in every realm.  We can step up and stand strong in the Lord.