In Government We Trust?
Earthly governments are not the best teachers of heavenly truth.
The long-standing currency motto “In God We Trust” is no longer a prominent feature on the new U.S. Presidential dollar coins. The phrase has been demoted to the side edge of the coin. As a matter of fact, some news reports indicate that a percentage of the coins have mistakenly been printed without the motto on their edge at all!
Does this mean that the government of the United States is failing God by not encouraging people to trust in him?
Many say yes. The Bible says no. Read Romans 13 and you’ll discover that it isn’t any earthly government’s job to teach the Bible, promote the worship of God, or evangelize lost souls. That’s the job of Christians! As a matter of fact, we prefer that earthly governments leave the teachings of God alone.
Leave the commandments off the courthouses. Leave prayer out of public schools. Leave “In God We Trust” off U.S. currency.
To put it simply, earthly governments are not the best teachers of heavenly truth. Why ask the government, not necessarily bound to the Bible’s teachings, to promote what it believes to be the true teaching about God?
Leave that to Christians who trust in God and his Word. Let churches take up, even more, the cause of teaching the Bible, promoting the worship of God, and evangelizing lost souls. Let Christians live as upright citizens, encouraging and praying for their government to fulfill its God-given duty of keeping peace and order in society.
Consequently, let government and church work together, each performing its separate task, for the ultimate plans and purposes of a saving God.
God ordains earthly governments as his servants, to keep peace and order in society so that Christians can share him through their lives of goodness and conversations about Jesus. Thank God for our United States government and the freedoms we enjoy. And don’t go write a letter to the U.S. Department of Treasury accusing them of sending our country to hell in a handbasket. Thank them for doing their job. And take time to do yours.
PRAYER: Lord of the nations, your majestic power rules over all rulers and reigns over the greatest dynasties of our world. Remind us of your sovereign kingdom when our faith wavers because of war, violence, injustice, and corrupt government in our world. Guide our government leaders to respect your created order and the needs of all people. Make us good citizens, restrain governments from persecuting your faithful followers, and bless all the nations of our world with peace and stability for the good of the faith. Amen.