Is America One nation under God...or a broken nation under none?

In Proverbs 15:4, we read: “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” 

Have you ever been to a concert or heard a symphony where the music touched your soul? Do you remember what it felt like? 

As college ministers, we usually had students involved in the music department, and we would hear their performances. In seminary, I remember going to listen to one of our South Korean neighbors’ solo performances in a big production, and it was truly a blessing; he was what I consider to be a master violinist.

When you listen to a piece by Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart or another famous composer, it can feel like your whole being is affected. The sudden or abrupt changes, the low harmony that builds with others to a crescendo, and the sweet harmonies or chorales that we all recognize from being used in movies are something to behold.

They inspire us, break us and leave us breathless; at the end, we are standing on our feet, cheering for more. 

Interestingly, the power of the tongue is like this as well. The above verse says that pleasing, soothing and gentle words that are right and true are a tree of life. They effect so many areas of life and provide blessings for the listener as well as the speaker.

If you follow wholesome Biblical truth, live by the same and speak it to others, everyone will be blessed. However, if you follow perverse words and principles in your life, do not be surprised if your spirit gets broken. 

Our lives, towns, cities, and our nation used to be blessed by wholesome Biblical principles and truth from top to bottom.

We had the 10 Commandments in our homes, schools, courthouses and capitols. We did not argue with them, but pointed all toward the truth contained in these 10 rules. This was a tree of life to all and everyone in our country. 

What happened? We decided everyone could come up with what was true on their own. We decided to stop praying at sporting events and schools because one person was offended and threatened to sue if we did not stop praying to God.

We let the smallest of voices poison and kill the wholesome tongue and wholesome principles that benefited the whole country. Now, we see the fruit of that.

There are perverse tongues in so many places of high authority in our country. We see them in the current White House administration, the judicial system, practically every major university across the country, and in so many elementary, middle, and high schools. These people are

breaking spirits from the young to old.

They break the spirit by using evil communications to corrupt the heart and manners. The perverse tongue defiles the soul, distorts conversation and leads anyone who listens down the broad road to destruction on so many levels.

We went from “One Nation under God” to “A Broken Nation under No One.” I could probably write that second quotation a thousand ways, and sadly, it only ends badly. Our nation and most of the world echoes Judges 21:25: “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

In Noah’s day, that is why the flood happened. Many nations were destroyed by God for not turning from evil, and God’s word says that, in the last days, it will be just like in the days of Noah.

In the days of Noah, everyone went their own way. “Every inclination of the human mind/heart was nothing but evil all of the time,” Genesis 6:5 reads. Jesus said it will happen again in the end times. I foolishly thought it would never happen in our nation because we knew the Word of God, loved the Word of God and would never completely turn our backs on God. 

Corruption and perversity only stop when people stand up against it. There must be firm consequences for breaking God’s laws and pre-established laws in our nation. There cannot be “rules for thee, but not for me.”

The size of your bank account or the color of your skin shouldn’t matter. If “special” people can play by their own rules and do whatever they want while the rest of the country suffers under freedom-killing mandates, we are a lot closer to a socialistic or communistic country than I thought we were. 

Who and what are you listening to nowadays? What are you saying to others? Are you being a wholesome tongue to others and listening to other wholesome tongues? Are you listening to perverse tongues, and then only spreading perversity around to everyone?

We can benefit from God’s Word, biblical principles and what God says is right and wrong. It will be a tree of life to you. The other choice is to follow the world’s lies and perversity, which will leave you with a broken spirit. If God says it goes that way, it will. No “ifs,” “ands” or “buts” about it. 

I say all of this in love. I love anyone and everyone in Jesus Christ and never want to bring judgment against anyone personally. I hope you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have experienced God’s love; it will wash away any guilt, shame or pain in your life. I hope you know God loves you and sent His son to die for you, so that if you believe, you will not perish, but have eternal life. 

A lot of times in my life, I did not want to hear the truth I needed to hear. It ended up blessing me beyond belief when I changed my thoughts, feelings or behaviors and started following God’s ways. Praise God for those who spoke truth, and Praise God that I listened. I hope that as a country and as a people, we will do the same.