This time of year is one of my favorites because of the focus we get to place on our freedom by being citizens of The United States of America! During the month of June, we stop and recognize “June 6th.” The President Dwight D. Eisenhower library documents this day by saying, “The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The beaches were given the code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO and SWORD. By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front, and Russian forces on the eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France.” The Allied Forces truly created freedom for so many who had been in bondage!
Additionally, we get to celebrate “Flag Day” as we spotlight the importance of one our most recognizable symbols of our freedom, The American Flag. Our flag reminds us that we get to live one of best places on the planet. Like you, I have always counted myself as a proud American. I am appreciative of the sacrifices that have been made by the men & women who have fought and died for our freedom. The majority of our citizenry have at least some form of understanding & respect for our Creator. Dating back to the beginning of our nation, most of the framers of our Constitution and early leaders used the Bible as their guide. As our nation grew and matured across the globe, God’s Word continued to be the foundation of diplomacy. The United States quickly became known as a Christian Nation. In a few days, we will celebrate our nation’s independence with the “4th of July.” Therefore, we have more freedom than most anyone else. From the beginning of our nation, we have embraced our independence and by enjoying having control over how we spend our days. How are we using our freedom? Are we using our freedom to not serve those in need, and to talk with them about the freedom we have in Christ?
Many will say, “One has the freedom to make the choices they wish.” Galatians 5:13 says, “For you, brethren have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” We know so many restrictions exist in the public arena that may prohibit us from sharing the Good News with someone. But, we must not shy away. We must seek opportunities despite obstacles. Even with limits on what we can say in the public square, we still have freedom to speak.
The church is a pillar and ground for the truth (I Timothy 3:15). Our positivity should bring others to Christ and our attitude should open doors while we are opening hearts (Hebrews 1:9). We have the most positive message anyone could deliver to someone else (John 3:16).
Jesus Christ died so we may have freedom from sin. Our military protects us from enemies so we can share Christ. We show our appreciation to Christ by keeping His Commandments (John 14:15). Jesus Christ died so we may be free from sin, not slaves to sin. Let’s all pray our country will stop using our freedom as a “cloak” to participate in ungodly activities. We are promised a reward if we are faithful (Revelation 2:10). This reward is greater than any freedom we may be afforded by our nation. Lets use our freedom to honor our Lord and remain faithful to Him!
