“My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise” (Prov. 24:21). “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jer. 29:7). As we saw in yesterday’s devotional, Christians are dual citizens. We are citizens of God’s kingdom, and we are citizens of the earthly nation to which we belong.
The word of God not only delineates our responsibilities as Christians in relation to our government, but Scripture also seems to indicate that there is a place for genuine patriotism. Theologian Wayne Grudem describes this as a patriotism “which always seeks to promote the good of the nation [and] would honestly criticize the government and its leaders when they do things contrary to biblical moral standards.” [Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible, p. 109]
Grudem goes on to share 7 benefits of genuine patriotism, which I have listed below, straight from his book:
A sense of belonging to a larger community of people, which provides one aspect of a person’s sense of identity and his obligation to others.
Gratitude for the benefits that a nation provides, such as the protection of life, liberty, and property, the existence of laws to deter wrongdoing and encourage good, the establishment of a monetary system and economic markets, and … a common language or languages.
A shared sense of pride in the achievements of other individuals to whom one “belongs” as fellow citizens of the same nation (including pride in athletic, scientific, economic, artistic, philanthropic, or other endeavors).
A sense of pride for the good things that a nation has done, something that is developed by a proper understanding of a nation’s history and a sense of belonging to a group of people that includes previous generations within that nation.
A sense of security with respect to the future, because of an expectation that the larger group - that is, everyone in the nation - will work for the good of the nation and therefore will defend each person in the nation from attacks by violent evildoers, whether from within or outside its borders.
A sense of obligation to serve the nation and do good for it in various ways, to defend it from military attack or from unfair criticism by others, to protect the existence and character of the nation for future generations, and to improve the nation in various ways where possible, even through helpful criticism of things that are done wrong within the nation.
A sense of obligation to live by and to transmit to newcomers and succeeding generations a shared sense of moral values and standards that are widely valued by those within the nation. Such a sense of obligation to shared moral standards is more likely to happen within a nation than within the world as a whole, because a person can act as a moral agent and be evaluated within the context of an entire nation, but very seldom does anyone have enough prominence to act with respect to the entire world.
Regarding the last point, we must keep in mind that, as Christians, our moral values and standards are determined by Scripture, not popular opinion. We should work toward common ground while never compromising the truth of God. Who knows what influence we can have as individual citizens and households on the generations that follow us?
After listing the benefits of patriotism, Grudem goes on to address “the opposite of patriotism,” which is “an attitude of even scorn for one’s nation, accompanied by continual criticism of one’s country.” What Grudem says here is important, because I think many Americans have become frustrated with those living in our country who have nothing but negative things to say about it.
Rather than sharing in gratitude for the benefits provided by the country and pride in the good things it has done, those opposed to patriotism will repeated emphasize any negative aspect of the country’s actions, no matter how ancient or how minor compared with the whole of its history. They will not be proud of the nation or its history, and they will not be very willing to sacrifice for it or to serve it or to protect and defend it. Such anti-patriotic attitudes will continually erode the ability of the nation to function effectively and will eventually tend to undermine the very existence of the nation itself.
Grudem then shares a few examples of how genuine patriotism might play out in some other nations besides the United States. To cite one example,
a patriotic citizen of Germany might say, “I love my nation and I’m proud of its historic achievements in science, literature, musical and many other areas of human thought, though I am deeply grieved by the evils perpetrated under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, and I am glad that we were finally liberated from his oppressive rule.
I give these examples to illustrate the fact that even citizens of countries with evil rulers can retain a genuine patriotism that is combined with sober and truthful criticism of current or past leaders. But such patriotism will still include the valuable components mentioned above, such as a sense of belonging to that particular nation, gratitude for the benefit it gives, shared pride in its achievements, a sense of security, a sense of obligation to serve and protect it … and a sense of obligation to follow and transmit shared values and ideals that represent the best of the country’s history.
If such things can be true of even … bad governments, then certainly patriotism can be a value inculcated in all the other nations of the world as well. In this sense, a Christian view of government encourages and supports genuine patriotism within a nation.
In what ways have you benefitted from being a citizen of your country? Thank God for these blessings.
What problems or challenges plague your country? Seek the Lord humbly in prayer for the welfare of your nation, wisdom for your leaders, and salvation for all (1 Tim. 2:1-6).
What else can you do to contribute to the welfare of your nation? Seek to do these things with the Lord’s help.
Be the best citizen you can be — for the good of your country and for the glory of God.