The phrase “God and country” isn’t in the Bible. Why? Because God is forever and every country is but for a while. God is infinite, a country is temporary. If you want a slogan here’s one for you: “God above country!” (The Old Testament prophets even rebuked Israel for putting idols above God.)

The Bible never says, “Love your country.” It does however say, “Love your enemies.” So why do so many Christians love their country but not their enemies? Perhaps it is because they have rejected Spirit-led discipleship and embraced blind-patriotism.

The Bible commands Christians to love God and to love people but it never tells us to love a nation. Love is personal, not nationalistic. When Christian nationalism idolizes a particular nation, it promotes and embraces political idolatry and often self-righteous violence.

Jesus never told anybody to love Rome or to love Judea (the homeland of His fellow Jews). Instead, Jesus told people to love God, to love one another, and to love their enemies. How different this world would be if we would obey Jesus instead of our patriotic feelings and traditions. Jesus first–now and always!

If you are a Christian, never let politics take the stage in your life. Keep your heart always focused on Jesus, never on a country. Don’t let political pride push out your awareness of and dependence on the everyday presence of Jesus.

History clearly shows that religion mixed with political power leads to self-righteous cruelty. Look at the Taliban cutting off people’s hands, the Spanish Inquisition torturing and murdering people, “the Divine Right of Kings” giving kings unlimited power to torture and abuse people, radical Islamists committing horrible terrorists’ acts, legalized human trafficking (slavery) based on twisted Bible verses, Hezbollah murdering ordinary Israelis at a festival, the slaughtering of multitudes of civilians in Gaza by Israel, the Crusades trying to wipe out Islam, the genocide of native Americans in both North and South America, the USA using “Christian nationalism” to justify fighting endless wars around the globe, Catholic priests and Protestant pastors sexually abusing people– all because they felt protected by religion mixed with power.

Never trust one man or one woman to lead you! That’s why the US Constitution has checks and balances that put limits on what the President has the legal authority to do. That’s why the Bible always presents Christian leadership as a plurality, not as a single person. (Titus 1:5)

Human ideas and efforts can never make a nation truly great. “Unless the Lord builds the house the builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) Putting our hope in a political or religious leader will only lead to great disappointment.

US Founding Father and second President, John Adams, put it this way: “There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” He also said: “Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all His laws.”

No president of the USA should ever be allowed to ignore, disobey, or dismantle the Constitution that he or she swore to defend. To allow that is to march toward tyranny.

I pray that Christian pastors discover their calling to disciple, train, and release ordinary people to follow and obey the risen Jesus beyond the institutional church and beyond politics so that they can help to bring about the next great awakening. A mighty move of God that changes multitudes of people from within with supernatural power (not political power) is the only way to truly make a nation great. (2 Chronicles 7:14)