HAPPY 4th of JULY

Celebrating the 4th of July immediately brings happy childhood memories to my mind. For some reason, July 4th usually found my family visiting my grandmother in St. Augustine, FL - a place I dearly loved to be.

This is a picture of my grandmother's house the way it looks today. It's located on old Saint George Street just a block or so south of the Oldest Schoolhouse. Today there is a gift shop on the lower floor. When I was growing up, my grandmother's camera shop (and before he died, my grandaddy's photography studio) was located where that gift shop is. Grandmother lived upstairs. On the fourth of July we would gather every chair we could carry out onto that balcony porch and the whole family would watch the fireworks as they lifted from the wall of the Old Fort and exploded over Mantanzas Bay.

I'm not sure whether I love the fireworks (even today) because of their beauty or if it's because of sweet memories of shared times snuggled beside my grandmother surrounded by lots of family.

Last week I watched Mel Gibson's movie, The Patriot, and was reminded again of the hard fought battles that won our country's independence from England. The creation of our nation, the United States of America, did not come easily or cheaply. It is right that we remember the Declaration of Independence signed on July 4, 1776 and honor those who purchased our freedom. To the American colonists of 1776 independence was worth dying for. The king of England, however, saw their declaration of independence as rebellion against his sovereign authority and called it treason. He sent soldiers to execute his judgment against the colonists.

Independence may be a good thing politically but it is NOT a good thing spiritually. God reminded me this morning that my acts of independence - of wanting my own way instead of His - is rebellion against His sovereign authority in my life. It is, in effect, cosmic treason. God calls it SIN.

In our culture today, with all our focus on freedom and independence, we have come to feel we have a right to . . . I'm going to stop right here. Stop. And drop the "we" and make this a more personal "I" because God has shown me it's time for me to take responsibility for my sin. It's time for me to repent and return to walking in the Spirit instead of my selfish desires. My daily war of flesh vs Spirit has been as bloody lately as the one fought between the colonists and the British. I am a selfish - self involved - pride filled person. When my time or my plans are infringed upon by someone else, I feel irritated. I become sullen and resentful and I complain. Society calls that acceptable because, after all,  I have "rights."  But God calls my complaining, my irritability, and my negative, critical attitude SIN.

When circumstances don't change within the time frame I think they should, I become impatient and anxious. Society tells me that's understandable. Instant gratification is the theme of the day. God calls my impatience, anxiety, worry, and frustration SIN.

I could go on and on. Our culture has become so desensitized and so accepting of sin that we no longer even call it what it is. We water it down and give it softer names. Adultery becomes "an affair." White collar crime of stealing people's life savings becomes "fraud."  But God has never ceased calling sin, SIN. He has never softened what it's called to make it politically correct or inoffensive. He calls ALL our acts of independence - all our relying on ourselves instead of relying on Him - SIN.

I am a great sinner. But. Oh. I have a GREAT SAVIOR. And so - today, Independence Day, July 4, 2013 - I issue my own declaration

Today, I will choose to

Today, I will confess my sins to Him because He is faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Today, I will choose to walk in the Spirit and not obey the desires of my flesh. Galatians 5:16

Today, Psalm 46 will be my Declaration of Dependence. Though the earth be removed, the mountains be carried to the sea ... I will not fear because God is my refuge and strength, my very present help in time of trouble.  I will be still, ceasing my striving, and declare myself fully dependent upon a Holy God who is exalted in all the earth! I will depend on the Lord of Hosts who is with me and whose Spirit is in me. I declare my dependence. Apart from You, LORD, I can do nothing.