My very favorite part of the book of Acts is chapter sixteen. Paul has tried to go preach in Asia, but God keeps preventing him. Through divine calling, he is instead persuaded to go to Europe. Friends, God was thinking about you and me specifically in Acts 16! It is our story as Americans.
History tells us that the gospel spread through Europe, eventually making it to the British Isles. In 1620, a band of Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean in order to find religious liberty, to worship God. America was and is that land
Only God could have known back in Acts 16 that Paul was not only evangelizing Europeans, but also setting in motion the birthing of a nation that would in turn send out missionaries all over the earth, and be a place where people could come hear the gospel freely. The United States of America has its place in God's plan for history.
So where does that leave us as American Christians today? Clearly, if God cared enough to change Paul's plans in Acts 16, He must care enough to have a responsibility for us.
First and foremost, we, like my heroes in the book of Acts, must be ready to evangelize, regardless of the cost. We cannot be complacent. The Christians in Acts weren't. If they were, the gospel would have been lost somewhere in history. We have more freedom and resources than anyone else on earth for getting the gospel out to others. Are we making the most of it? Are you? Am I? Be aware of divine appointments. There are unbelievers that the Holy Spirit is drawing, and God wants you to be the one He uses to help them find faith in Christ.
Second, after evangelizing, we American Christians need to be proactive. One of the most wonderful things about our country is that we are the people. Our voice can be heard. We elect our leaders, and even cast ballots on propositions. As we exercise this right, we should do research. Vote for candidates and propositions that support religious liberty. That is the most important thing. It truly is. If we do this, all other important considerations will fall into place. God set the stage for our Christian witness centuries ago. It is our sacred honor to see that we keep our freedom to share the gospel.
Third, don't complain; pray. It is easy to get on a downward spiral when we disagree with things our government does. I could easily get on a tangent about things that upset me in our nation. But complaining, or getting into doom and gloom predictions, will not help. Many believers through history were in governments more evil than ours has any capability of ever being. Yet they knew their calling was to share the gospel, and they never lost sight of that goal. I think we also need to remember what America has gone through. It is easy to think that we were so perfect and godly until now, and that if we make one more false move, we'll lose God's blessings entirely. While God's blessings are His business, He doesn't want us to live in this anxiety. First of all, America has been in trouble many times. Our nation and leaders have sinned from the beginning. Contrary to popular belief, many of our founding fathers were not born again Christians (though some certainly were). Slavery, abuse, unfair labor laws...these horrible things and more can all be found in our history. So today, as we rightfully bemoan ungodliness, we need to remember that our nation is sinful, and always has been. We have had godly and ungodly leaders intermittently throughout our history. The reason we have ever experienced, and continue to experience Gods grace is that we are a land where the gospel is preached. May we be faithful to this calling.
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