Where’s my credit?
Have you ever had one of those situations where you work so hard on something, only to have someone else take credit for your work? Personally, I’m not one of those “Look at me! Look at me!” types. If there is a task to be done, I just jump right in and put all my effort into it. I don’t need a pat on the back or “Way to go!” from someone. I do get very discouraged, though, if I work hard on something and someone else claims the credit for it. I also get discouraged if someone questions my efforts or my motives just because I don’t shout my own praises.
Freedom is quite a treasure to behold. Many people traveled many bumpy roads to arrive at this place we call freedom. America is a beacon of freedom and countless people are attracted to her light. It’s always been said, “It’s better to have people banging at your door to get in, rather than banging at your door to get out.”
But America is not just proud of the fact that countless people want to come here and have the American experience. America is also proud when nations get to experience that freedom themselves.
The bells of America’s freedom rang loud and nation after nation heard the clang. Chile, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, and Argentina all were establishing their independence. America was thrilled and we were one of the first to welcome them into freedom’s arms. Spain was a little upset about this recognition. Spain went straight to the American capital, Washington, to protest. No one listened.
It was a long way across the desert. The crowd was, at first, very excited about the journey. Then the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years. The grumbling started. Time and again, God heard their cries and answered their petitions. There was probably no place this was more evident than on the battlefield. The Israelites faced stronger, bigger and better trained armies, but if they kept their focus on God, victory was never far from them.
The Israelites were camped outside of Rephidium. Amalek’s army stood in their way. Some say Amalek was the grandson of Esau. Esau was the twin brother of Jacob. Remembering back to the story of Jacob and Esau, we would remember how Jacob “cheated” Esau out of his birthright. I’m sure this left a bad taste in Esau’s family tree for a long time. If Amalek was an actual descendent of Esau, we might be able to understand why he disliked the Israelites so.
In Europe, the Holy Alliance was very powerful. Soon Spain had more to worry about than America recognizing the freedom of her former colonies. France, with the Holy Alliance’s approval, invaded Spain and restored King Ferdinand VII to his old power.
America, including the Secretary of State at the time, got really nervous about the situation in Europe. Would this invasion fever stop in Europe or would it head west to the Americas and these newly seeded countries that were just starting to see freedom’s growth? The Secretary of State devised a plan by which America would use her “clout” to tell other nations to keep their hands off these countries that just declared their freedom. He talked it over with the President who really liked his ideas.
The Secretary of State wrote down some of his ideas. The President really liked what he wrote and said he was going to use them in an upcoming speech.
There was a huge problem with our “clout” statement. We didn’t have any clout or muscle to back it up. It was early in our history. We had no navy to help these countries if they needed it. So this statement would have gotten very little notice if it hadn’t been for one little detail.
As Moses and the Israelites got ready to battle the Amalekites, Joshua was placed in command of the army. Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed a tall mountain to watch the battle. A strange thing happened. When Moses held up his hands the Israelites would be winning the battle. When Moses’ hands got tired and he would drop them to his side, the Amalekites would start winning the battle. It didn’t take them long to realize they needed to do something to keep Moses’ arms in the air. So Aaron and Hur placed a stone under Moses’ arms. Then Aaron got on one side and held up one of Moses’ arm in the air. Hur got on the other side and held up the other arm in the air. Aaron and Hur held Moses’ arms in the air until sunset and Joshua defeated the Amalekites.
America found a very unlikely ally in their enforcement of this new keep your hands off policy. It was someone we had already fought two wars against just a short time before: Great Britain. But the British weren’t interested in being our friends as much as they were looking out for their own welfare. The Holy Alliance was a power that was storming through Europe. America’s hope in this statement was to keep them as far away from us as possible. Britain saw all the trading potential of these countries in the Americas and they wanted to keep out all the competition. Great Britain ruled the seas and no one dared to test her resolve.
The American Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, and the British Foreign Secretary, George Canning, went to work on the details. The resulting creed was called the Monroe Doctrine.
Although James Monroe worked with John Quincy Adams on the Monroe Doctrine, most of the wording is from the pen of John Quincy Adams. In those days, most important documents or doctrines had the President’s, not the author’s, name attached. Besides, the Monroe Doctrine sounds a lot better than the John Quincy Adams Doctrine.
The Monroe Doctrine has been used by many Presidents to keep foreign nations out of our neighbors’ backyards. It has also allowed some tiny nations to experience the power of self-determination. Thank you, John Quincy Adams!
Joshua and his brave men fought a brave battle, but what most people remember is Moses’ arms. Most Americans have heard of the Monroe Doctrine, even if they don’t know what it means, but very few would know of the important role John Quincy Adams played in it. Many times we attach our names to God’s projects, but I believe God’s Doctrine sounds so much better than Wayne’s Doctrine.
Prayer: Dear Mighty Father, Forgive me when I forget it is You, not I, that deserves credit for all the wonderful things that happen. Help me to be more focused on You and Your Doctrines and less on how much credit I receive for my little part. Amen.
