Although I have served in the United States Marine Corps, voted in the elections, and supported many community programs, I have never considered myself blindly patriotic or unpatriotic.  However, as my friends, schoolmates, and acquaintances have gotten older I’ve noticed many of them have become deeply involved and very passionate about their choice of political or social issues. It doesn’t matter whether the subject is your hair length, tattoos, abortion, welfare, immigration, race, religion, elected and appointed officials, your sex or national origins, liberalism, conservatism, etc., you are going to have Christians and non-Christian friends on both sides ready to inform you about their stance on the “issue” and why it should be our “issue” also. My purpose in this note is NOT to condemn or promote any of my friends, neighbors, relatives, or acquaintances’ passion for their cause. Each one of them has that passion for a reason, and I believe in many cases God may have inspired that passion.

Passion and zeal for a cause can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on the person and how it is applied. The Pilgrims, Patrick Henry, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and others who signed the Declaration of Independence had the same kind of passion for their cause as Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus. Each was inspired and each fulfilled his purpose during their special time and place. However, as for the rest of us, I believe there is a scripture that may possibly be more relevant and compelling. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (CEV) that we are to Try your best to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work hard, just as we taught you to do. Most of us are not called to be actively involved in becoming the “point person” for movements. When I read Hebrews 11 I see that there were what God considered “heroes” who went unnamed because they persevered quietly. In verses 35–38 we see that quiet group compared to Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Esau, Joseph, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets with this phrase: These were all commended for their faith indicating they had equality with even the patriarchs.

One of the things I remember most about my dad’s prayers, other than their lengthiness, was a phrase he regularly included in some small way. My dad was conveying an understanding of God’s Sovereignty and power. No matter how insignificant you may think your words or an act of love is, God can make it meaningful to as many people as He wants to touch. Let me give you an example. Several days ago I received a note from a fellow I counseled while working at a previous company. He told me that my candor, honesty, and encouragement had helped him become sober, go back to school, and reinvent his life which was in shambles at the time. I will treasure that note more than being the leader of a great cause because God helped that man turn his life around in a quiet simple way.

Pick your causes wisely. You are not unpatriotic or apathetic just because you are not at a rally, sit-in, or movement. Let God use you where you are with people He introduces into your life. You are strategically positioned with a sphere of influence that no one else possesses. Emulate my dad’s prayer — try to do something in a small way that will be of lasting and eternal value to everyone you come in contact with. Let God promote your cause in His own unique way.

Love, Dad