Hello, dear friends!
Has anyone heard of a country called Liberia? How about the USA? Is there a difference, right?
Let’s go back to the era of the emergence of new countries, when the USA and Liberia were formed. What will we see? A period of dreaming: many believed that good wishes bring the right result. But life is full of disappointments if you’re not ready to work for success.
Through the example of Liberia, which was founded in the image and likeness of the USA, we will understand that copying results is not that simple. And here the essence is not in the magical influence of Americans, but in Christian values, without which true freedom cannot be achieved.
The Constitution of the USA provided people with the right to equality and protection from state tyranny. When it was created, many considered the new state a social experiment. Puritans, Quakers, Protestants, and Catholics decided to create a new society with a pure church, free from unnecessary religious practices.
The Feat of the USA and the Tragedy of Liberia in the Quest for Freedom
As a result, the USA is now arguably the most influential country in the world. But if a janitor copies the behavior of a jeweler looking at a diamond through a magnifying glass, it won’t help him understand the value of the stone. A similar example happened with Liberia, founded 46 years after the United States.
Someone wanted to repeat the feat and copy the United States. Moreover, African American colonists sought salvation from the existing slave trade at the time, which is why they chose the name Liberia for the country (from “liberty”). However, even the right ideas couldn’t bring success.
Nevertheless, the slave trade didn’t end; it intensified from the side of the African population in the new environment. Tribes attacked each other to abduct people and sell them into slavery. Socially, people were divided into free and former slaves.
The latter had fewer rights and economic privileges. As a result, the tribal uprising of 1867 against the government finally undermined trust in all dreams.
Liberia and the USA: Differences in Success and Religious Faith
It’s interesting that in the same year, American politicians in the USA were helping former slaves become part of society, purchasing Alaska, and starting to build the transcontinental railroad. Quite a significant difference between the countries, isn’t it?
Liberia didn’t achieve success like the USA did because it lacked divine involvement. American missionaries didn’t teach the population literacy, didn’t attempt to understand African culture, and didn’t know how to organize the people’s lives.
If Liberia were a person, it would resemble Don Quixote: wanting to perform noble deeds, but ignorance of the actual circumstances endangering the hero and his companions. Understanding dreams is essential before fulfilling them.
In the USA, faith in God became a key factor for success. Guided by the right ideas were people capable of realizing them. From history textbooks, we don’t know any name associated with Liberia’s foundation.
In the book of Psalms in the Bible, we read the words:
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (Psalm 127:1).
The history of Liberia’s downfall didn’t end by the 19th century, as even in 1989, civil war plagued the country, claiming 250,000 lives. Imagine, in a country with such an elevated name, Liberia, its own citizens killed a quarter of a million people!
This underscores the importance of not merely desiring good things but understanding how to attain them. Becoming a copy of a Christian is a path to failure. You can replicate every action of a person, but you can’t live their life.
Many notable individuals conclude that success came unexpectedly to them. Advice from a successful artist on stage sounds something like: dream and believe in yourself. But that’s somewhat naive.
Liberia didn’t become like the USA because its indigenous population and distinct culture forced American colonists in Africa to find their own path to development, which unfortunately they didn’t do.
Christian values are built not on good intentions but on labor, sincerity, love for God and people. Ideas without effort are worth nothing. Today, every individual represents either Liberia or the USA in the context of self-development.
God inspires us to take the right actions, not just positive contemplation. Liberia is rich in natural resources, including iron ore. However, this information, without planning and a professional approach, didn’t help the population.
In the USA, people had the desire to engage in entrepreneurship and make technological advancements from the very beginning. As a result, the GDP of the United States exceeds Liberian figures by a factor of 104. More billionaires in the world are holders of American passports – 724.
An important Christian principle is:
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.'” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).
Liberia promised overseas people full freedom from slavery and genuine human rights, but in reality, the situation turned out worse than in America.
This helps us understand the importance of fulfilling promises. Hundreds of thousands of people awaited a better life, but they weren’t ready to work hard for it: they didn’t want to embrace the principles of life laid out by God in the Bible and didn’t want to acquire knowledge or work for progress.
Development and Quest for the Right Path
In our time, comparing the USA and Liberia teaches us not to blindly follow religious slogans, as many people from the countries of the former CIS do.
Wearing a cross doesn’t necessarily mean following God’s commandments, and attending church doesn’t free us from life’s hardships. We need to prepare ourselves to make real decisions in a complex world. God in the Bible offers us help and purpose, so we can see that it will yield results in the future.
Like the authors of the US Constitution, we may not yet see our influence on world history in our lives. Nonetheless, every step they took was made with prayer. On the other hand, the Colonists of Liberia extended their hand to receive the fruit, but in doing so, missed the seeds.
Only God can help us achieve the right outcomes, by teaching us Christian values. Lies, laziness, and excessive daydreaming harm people – these are contrary to the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Liberia teaches us to seek God’s plan for each individual soul, rather than trying to replicate someone else’s outcome.
It’s not enough to come up with a beautiful name for a country. What’s important is to have the blessing that God bestows upon His children.
Certainly, in our time, the USA has noticeably drifted away from the principles laid down by the founding fathers. And this can’t help but impact the future success of the nation. But at the present moment, it can be said that the children are living in the rays of their forefathers’ blessings.
…Will there be anything left for the grandchildren?