We have just come through 4th of July weekend. Here in our little neck of the woods (Mifflin County, PA) it was neat to see plenty of people proud to be American. Saturday night, I wondered if the neighbors would ever stop shooting off fireworks! As you know, it is quite popular to “hate” on America these days so I thought it might be appropriate to say a quick word on this. Just to give a little disclaimer, I spent the first 25 years of my life in another great land (Canada), but for the last 12 years, I have called the USA home, and have lived in 3 different States.

If you look at the stats, America welcomes far more immigrants than any other nation. In 2015, the US had 48 million foreign-born residents. Guess how many the #2 nation had? 11 million. For the last 200 plus years, the US has consistently had more immigrants than any other nation. People from every nation of the world come here. Why? It’s simple. Because people are attracted to what America offers. The statistics don’t lie – this is a great nation and people want to live here! The vast majority of immigrants will testify that they are happy to be here and have no plans to leave.

Along with imports, let’s talk about exports. For the last 200 years, the US has sent out far more missionaries than any other country. I don’t have the stats readily available, but it’s just like immigration. America has been a huge blessing to the world through her missionary endeavors. Not only can we praise God for the freedom to practice Christianity here in America, but also that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been preached and disseminated all over the world through the work of countless missionaries. We can only pray that this missionary zeal would grow.

Now, does racism exist? Yes (good luck finding a country where racism doesn’t exist). Does America have problems? Yes, of course. These are symptoms of living in a fallen world. But here is what we need to remember. America is still a great place to live and work and to serve the Lord in. We can make a difference in this world as we proclaim the gospel and plead with men and women to be reconciled to God and to one another (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

Wherever you live, be it America, Canada, or another nation, be thankful that God has placed you where you are, and for all the freedoms you enjoy. But also keep in mind that our true home as Christians is in heaven. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Indeed, Heaven is that “better country” (Hebrews 11:16) that our hearts long for.

“Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)