"Responsible Citizenship"
Published: July 1, 2026
By John Coleman
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived; but if faced with courage, need not be lived again." --Maya Angelou
For this 4th of July, I am reminded of a couple of different extremes into which we can fall as American citizens. One is to treat the United States as a kind of promised land … a utopia … to lean toward a kind of nationalism that ends up being idolatry.
The other extreme is a kind of hubris that forgets all the sacrifices that have been made throughout our nation’s history that have brought us to the point where we now have the freedoms that we enjoy.
So, let us be thankful. Let us have gratitude for the sacrifices that people have made for us that we now enjoy. So, let’s avoid the idolatry of nationalism and let’s also avoid the hubris of ingratitude.
And, in the middle, let us remember that one of our vocations … one of our callings as Christians … is that of a citizen. A citizen who is responsible … a citizen who is sacrificial … a citizen who does everything within his or her place and power to further the good of the neighbor and to support the country of which they are a part. So, the vocation of citizen is the middle road … the faithful road … to which God has called us.
I hope you have a great 4th of July. God’s blessings to each of you!
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John Coleman is the Chief Content Officer for the Master Life Coach Training Institute, a university academic counselor and professor of psychology and the Bible, a certified life coach, and a pastor.
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