Not guilty!

God has blessed the USA. I believe it's because we were founded by yes, Christians, but that's another post. And because He has turned-on followers here. Even though, yes, we can always do better. And because we have always sent out the Gospel and stood by Israel. (If you believe the Bible, see Genesis 12:3, John 4:22, and Romans 11. If you don't, you might as well quit reading now.)

And mostly, because God is sweet.

So, because we are so blessed, we should feel guilty???

A few thoughts:

First, on a personal level, too, bad times make us grow.

But when we're alert and grateful, blessings make us grow, too.

Of course, if we want to grow only through bad times, I'm sure the enemy of our souls could arrange some bad times for us, as God allowed him to do with Job.

Otherwise, we can gratefully grow through our blessings as they did at Pentecost when Jesus first made the church and made them grow. In joy and power. He baptized them in the Holy Spirit, and I doubt that was a grim, formal, staid experience. I suspect it was joyful and exciting.

And a few of them preached and 3000-5000 were saved, and the authorities noted that those simple, unlearned men "had been with Jesus."

Wouldn't we love for people to look at us in living and ministering in power and know we had been with Jesus!

Hard times did come later. Even death. And the church grew.

Second: after we are blessed, then we can bless others with our blessings. And not out of guilt but out of gratitude. Stats have shown that Christians are the biggest givers.

Jesus said to give to the poor. Of course. And He said "The poor are always with you." I doubt that we will ever eliminate poverty. But we can help as many as we can, remembering Paul's words, "Those who don't work don't eat." Unless they can't work, or need a temporary hand up.

And we will be blessed for it, too. So, we can't lose with God.

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Third: --by choice. By choice. Not by legislation.

Yes, we need more generosity and less greed in this country. But the answer is not government, but God. Here's Malachi 3. Short chapter. Verse 10 is interesting. Take a look, if you like. God bless.