This July, the American people will celebrate the 244th birthday of their country.  While our nation is young compared to other countries, America stands as a leader to the rest of the world.  As Christians, we know that our success and affluence in the world is due to our extraordinary founding.  We have been a nation blessed by our Creator because our founders chose to make this a place of religious freedom.  The founding fathers knew the truth, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12).

Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”  I will attest to the fact that I heard this quote as a youngster, and in my pride, I thought nothing could change America.  How wise President Reagan’s words were, and how foolish were mine!  I now see his statement as a battle cry for the next generation. 

Fought for–Our freedom has been fought for by men and women throughout the history of our country in a military role.  But I must ask myself, do I honor their service? Do I pray for their safety and the safety of their families?

Protected–There are times when our freedoms are protected on a battlefield, while other times they are protected through knowledge.  Knowing what our freedoms are and how important they are reveals that they must be protected. Our founding documents are a unique balance of power so that no one branch can control the others or command a nation.  We are exceptional in that we are governed by consent. Awareness of America’s system of government prepares one to refute those who would erode its foundation.

Handed On–Passing these freedoms down to the next generation seems like an easy task until you are tasked to do so.  Do our children know how blessed they are to live in this country, or do we shield them from the horrors of other nations?  Do they know what our founding fathers strived and gave “the last full measure of devotion” for?  There is a wealth of resources to help parents and teachers hand down the history of our great land.  

We each have an individual responsibility to preserve our nation’s liberty. Some will do so by serving in our armed forces, while others will fight on the public stage.  But for most of us, this fight will be in our homes as we live to protect and strive to hand it on to the young.  It is vital that this next generation gets a firm grasp on our freedoms, lest they be the generation in which it becomes extinct.

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Miriam Chung, Christian School Teacher

Mrs. Chung grew up around the work of the ministry and now has the privilege of teaching at the North Valley Baptist Schools. She and her husband faithfully teach young people and are a vital asset to the ministry of NVBC.