American Exceptionalism

Do you ever wonder why we measure things by the inch, foot, or yard? Do you ever wonder why we use the cup, pint, quart, or gallon? It’s because of American exceptionalism. We don’t mind being different than the rest of the world that uses the metric system.

In fact, as Americans, we want to be different than the rest of the world. Or at least we used to. More recently, we want to be just like everybody else, and increasingly, we are becoming just that.

I speak of our leaders’ desire to more and more be like our European neighbors. And I don’t believe this is a good thing. It reminds me of a Bible passage where the people of Israel wanted to be like their neighbors. They wanted a king to rule over them because everyone else had a king.

1 Sam 8:5 They said to him (Samuel), “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

This desire was an insult to the very God who didn’t want them to be like all the other nations. He didn’t set them apart like all the other nations, choosing to bless Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, their founding fathers–if you will.  And He certainly didn’t treat them like He did all the other nations that didn’t obey His commandments.  

God heaped special blessings upon them and this separated them from the rest of the nations. Yet, they rebelled against Him and desired to be just like everybody else. 

Welcome to America today. In my opinion, this is why America is now failing in our schools, our economy, and in just about every other area you can mention. If we want to be like every other nation, then God will treat us just like He treats every other nation that doesn’t worship Him.

Ps 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.