In God We Trust

We all know that "In God We Trust" is the official motto of the United States of America. "IN GOD WE TRUST" first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin. It was adopted as the nation’s motto in 1956 as an alternative or replacement to the unofficial motto of E Pluribus Unum, which was adopted when the Great Seal of the United States was created and adopted in 1782. I read that, like many mottos however, the phrase has unfortunately become more of a throwaway statement for many Americans that the declaration of true faith in the one and only God of Scripture today.

I read an article by Burk Parsons where he sincerely states that it is indeed our hope that our nation – and every nation – would genuinely trust God. Although many people claim to trust God, they act as if He has no authority whatsoever over their lives. They are an authority unto themselves via human autonomy, which leads to anarchy. These people have succumbed to secularism. Secularism is the belief that man does not need God or God’s laws in man’s society, governmental, educational, or economic affairs. Ironically, secularism rejects religion, yet is itself a religion.  

Parsons adds that secularism is a growing problem in our culture and it’s making inroads into the Christian church. Many pastors will not preach on hell for fear of scaring people away. Some of the most popular religious leaders do little more than take self-help messages and dress them up with a veneer of Christianity. Secularism is something that we must fight in our hearts, our homes and our churches. We are too easily tempted to forget God and to avoid conflict with the God-rejecting world system. We are called to live all of life before the face of God. But if we forget Him, we forget who we are and whose we are.

We are His people, and we are called to stand firm, declaring to our hearts, our homes, our church and our nation that the Lord God Almighty has authority over all and that, unwaveringly, In God We Trust.