Learning from the American Flag

Read Time - 2 Minutes

I remember the first time I saw the 30-foot by 42-foot American flag waving in the Chesapeake Bay breeze above Fort McHenry.  The original flag, which is in the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., is the one that Francis Scott Key eyed flying over the fort in the early morning during the war of 1812.  Despite the night-long bombardment of the fort by the British, the flag stayed standing, and he penned the words to the patriotic Star-Spangled Banner.

The flag reminds us of history, but it does more than that – it provides us with purpose.  The values evoked by the red (hardiness and valor), white (purity and innocence), and blue (vigilance, perseverance, and justice) provide goals for us as Americans.  Striving to reach those goals gives us purpose as Americans.  

Scripture also tells us of history and purpose. In Colossians 2:16 we learn that “all things” were created “by” Christ and “for” Christ.  We should feel blessed by what Christ has created for us, but our response can not stop there.  We must realize that “all things” were created “for” Him – providing us an overarching purpose – and we should purposefully live out our lives with that in mind.

We may be purposeful in many areas of our lives: how we spend our time, what we fill our minds with, and how we influence others.  In the area of finances, we may be purposeful in how we earn money (given our abilities and opportunities) and how we use money (what we give to, save for, and spend on).  

Many of us, however, haven’t evaluated whether our investments are invested “for” Christ.  The litmus test is: Do the companies we invest in honor or dishonor Christ with their products, practices and philanthropy?  Just as the American flag continues to wave patriotically above Fort McHenry, let’s make sure we are waving our financial flag patriotically “for” Christ!

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor