On July 4, 1776, in an act of Congress, the United States declared its independence from Great Britain and declared itself to be a sovereign nation. In its Declaration of Independence, it spoke of God-given unalienable rights, and delineated how those rights had been repeatedly violated by the King of Great Britain. The signers of the declaration agreed, “that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government….”
After declaring its independence, the United States fought seven more years, ending the Revolutionary War in 1783. Establishing a new form of government was not an easy task, so the Constitution of the United States was not ratified by all 13 states until 1790 when Rhode Island signed on.
Even though this nation has grown and survived for 243 years since declaring its independence from Great Britain, it seems that we are again living under tyranny. The tyrannical government of our thoughts, impulses, and emotions, have left us prey to debt, stress, suicide, illness, social malaise, fear, selfishness, and godlessness. Perhaps it is our lack of self-control and self-management that has our nation and the world in great peril today. Perhaps we, and our governments, have forgotten that divine rights also come with divine responsibilities and divine privileges.
While Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness may be divine rights as stated in the Declaration of Independence, we lose these rights when we fail to take the divine responsibilities and enjoy the divine privileges that come with them. It is a privilege to give! It is a privilege to help others! It is a privilege to love and be loved! It is a privilege to be thankful! It is a privilege to be free of debt! It is a privilege to be one of almost 7 billion other people on the earth with human blood and the same rights and privilege.
Maybe we need a new Declaration of Independence with greater emphasis on our divine responsibilities and privileges.