Originally, February 22nd was established to honor one man. Then, 83-years later, the day included two men. Today, it is thought to be a celebration of all the men who have served our nation in a particular capacity. Today is President’s Day.
The first celebration of this day was on February 22nd, 1885 in honor of the day in 1732 when Washington was born. “In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. The bill moved several federal holidays to Mondays creating three-day weekends. During the debate on the bill, one proposal suggested George Washington’s birthday be renamed Presidents Day to honor the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.”1 Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809.
Part of the congressional proposal was to rename the day President’s Day rather than Washinton’s Birthday. This was rejected. However, in 1971 when the third Monday of February was officially recognized as Washington’s Birthday even though it recognized both Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays, the day was opposed by those who felt each president deserved recognition on their own separate days.
As with most grumblings, they eventually subside. Before you knew it, President’s Day became the officially used title. And rather than just being a day to recognize two presidents, it became a day to recognize all the presidents who have served our country.
I am no different than anyone else. I look at the presidents who have served our nation and divide them into three categories: those who were remarkable, those who didn’t make much of an impact, and those who were terrible. We are all entitled to our opinion on this and if we are honest, we might say that our assessments of an administration and its impact have a way of changing as history unfolds.
Through the years of our nation, we have had 47 presidents and 45 men who have filled those roles (Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump served non-consecutive terms). ALL of those presidents, regardless of party affiliation or the decisions they made in office deserve to be recognized and honored. We do not honor them for the decisions they made. We honor them for the positions they held as the heads of our nation.
Politics often divide and I would agree that there are times when the division is necessary, especially when a politician is wanting to lead our nation contrary to the Bible. But we can never escape the admonition of 1 Timothy 2:1-3. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.”
Let’s look into our hearts very carefully. Did we give thanks and pray for Ronald Reagan? George H.W. Bush? Bill Clinton? George W. Bush? Barak Obama? Joe Biden? Donald Trump? Those are the presidential elections where I was old enough to vote. Your list might go even further back.
God didn’t say, “Give thanks for the Democrats. Give thanks for the Republicans. Give thanks for those with whom you agree.” Look again carefully at the verse. The “giving of thanks” is to “be made for all men; for kings (can we say presidents?), and for all in authority.” If we aren’t doing that, we are wrong and in sin! Full disclosure, I have certainly sinned in this area.
Why must this be our attitude that we display to the world from our hearts? Paul makes it very clear and may this be our heart’s desire for all who are in authority over us. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God our Savior, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
1https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/presidents-day-third-monday-in-february
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