Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I've been feeling a little patriotic lately. And, yes, it is because of our national holiday. But it has gone a little deeper this year. My electricity provider's CEO challenged its providees to read the Declaration of Independence in this month’s magazine. I haven’t read it in a while. OK, I haven’t read it since elementary school when I was required to memorize part of it. So, feeling somewhat guilty, I did.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident (obvious, indisputable, and undeniable), that all men are created equal (we forget that part sometimes), that they are endowed (gifted or bestowed) by their Creator (God is implied) with certain unalienable (the state of possessions that cannot be bought or sold) rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness (capitalized in the document).” (*These are my notations. I had to look some of this up.)

 Wow, our Founding Fathers were really making a statement here. Our Creator God has given us Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. They understood this statement as non-negotiable. They took for granted that the readers would agree all across the land, unless you were siding with England’s king at the time.

I can relate as a Christ follower:

I have Life – He who has the Son has life. I John 5:12

I have Liberty – You have been called to live in liberty. But do not use your liberty to indulge in sin but use it to serve each other in love. Galatians 5:13

I can pursue happiness – The fruit coming to you from the Holy Spirit is love, happiness, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galatians 5:22-23

Yes, for this holiday I’m loving the United States of America and the republic for which it stands. My nation is under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Let me not take these unalienable rights from my Creator for granted. This holiday I will be thankful for:

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.