July 4th, 2023

As Independence Day approaches, I’ve been listening to patriotic songs and hymns that remind me of our country’s great principles and aspirations: freedom, faith, God-given rights, justice, equality, bravery, and selfless sacrifice. It stirs my heart and fills me with gratitude for my country.

But these songs also remind me how we, and our leaders, often fall short of those wonderful messages. Ronald Reagan’s warning rings in my ears:

“[F]reedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.”

This Independence Day, join me in seizing the opportunity to remember what made this country great, celebrate the Lord’s blessings on our nation, and renew our commitment to engage in the duty of preserving our God-given freedom for another generation.

Remember – Read our founding documents

An iVoterGuide voter recently told me he reads the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution every year around Independence Day. What a wise idea! After you draw inspiration from the world-changing ideas in our founding documents, challenge another person to read them, too!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, … ”

- Declaration of Independence

Celebrate – Thank God for His blessings

Courage to meet our nation’s challenges today comes from an attitude of thankfulness to God for all He has brought us through in the past. His blessings are worth celebrating!

The fourth verse of the 1832 hymn, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” reminds me of God’s grace and providence throughout our history:

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God our King.

Engage – Stand by these principles

The signers of our Declaration of Independence risked everything—their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor—to stand by the truths written in that document. Will we?

Millions who have served or are currently serving in our armed forces demonstrate this selfless, patriotic sacrifice. If you see a veteran or service member, resolve to honor them by fighting for freedom in your own capacity, especially with your vote. And don’t forget to thank them for their service!

Remember that our nation was born, “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”. Celebrate God’s continued providence throughout our history. Engage in your duty to uphold the principles which make our nation good and free.

That’s how we can preserve Independence Day for another 247 years.

Please enjoy this patriotic playlist compiled by our staff as you remember, celebrate, and engage in celebration of our liberty! We hope you enjoy it and are as inspired as we were in creating it!