There is a story about a man who visited a remote village. He came upon a gentleman who had lived there all his life. The visitor inquired of him, “Have any famous men been born here?” The old villager quickly came back with a most fitting reply, “No, only babies.”

While it may seem that some children are born with more potential than others, every child requires much nurturing in order for him or her to become a great man or woman. They must be taught by word and example in order for them to reach their highest potential.

As we approach another birthday celebration for our great nation, it is a time in which we should give thanks to God for all He has allowed us to know and to have as a nation. Yet we will be hiding our heads in the sand and ignoring reality if we fail to acknowledge that there are a lot of moral problems in America. It is safe to assume that they will not get better if we simply ignore them; to the contrary, if we choose that approach, they will certainly get worse. But when we come face-to-face with the enormity of the spiritual and moral decline all around us, we have reason to feel helpless to do anything to make things better. If we stop there, we concede to defeat and give permission for our nation to continue on a path to moral decay and ultimate destruction.

Perhaps we can use the old villager’s outlook to point us in the right direction. Just as it takes nurturing for great men to be developed, it is essential for each of us who follow Christ and pattern our lives after the Word of God to do what He directs us to to make a difference in our society.

There is an account recorded in Luke 8 from which we can draw some helpful insights for dealing with what is impossible for us to fix on our own. The situation that the man in the account faced was directly related to his family, but the way that he approached the Lord for help is useful in many circumstances— including seeking for the spiritual resuscitation of our nation.

Luke 8:40-56 includes the account of a man named Jairus whose daughter was dying. He approached Christ for intervention, and even though the child died, He came, spoke the word of healing and she was raised back to life.

What can we learn from Jairus that will help us help America turn from wickedness?

We can learn the necessity of brokenness and humility before God. In a moment of great need, Jairus “came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come to his house” (verse 41, NIV). Jairus recognized Christ as his only hope, and he acted upon that realization. It is not enough for us to say that God and prayer are the only hope for our nation; we must put what we know into sincere practice just as that grief-stricken daddy did centuries ago.

We can also learn the importance of trusting the Word of God more than the verdict of people. The people told Jairus not to bother the Teacher since the girl had died, but He told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (verse 50), and it happened just as the Lord said. May we, in like manner, trust God and follow His Word for healing in our land. God always has the final word, and we can take comfort in knowing that nothing is impossible with Him.