George Washington's 280th Birthday

Today marks the 280th birthday of our nation's first President, George Washington! Here's one of my favorite paintings of America's first leader--we have a copy of this hanging over the fireplace in my house, and it's a good reminder of Washington's steadfast faith and reliance on Divine Providence.



I'm currently reading "Being George Washington" by Glenn Beck. I thought I knew a lot about Washington before I read this book, but I've learned so much more about the type of leader he was. We all, especially those who consider themselves political "leaders" today, could take a lesson from Washington's style of leadership. He was humble, and listened to others rather than thinking himself superior. He didn't expect gratification or praise for what he did, and reluctantly accepted the position as first President of the United States, though he would have much rather returned to Mount Vernon. There were numerous times when mutiny seemed imminent, but Washington's leadership kept his army together, and later kept our young country together when conflicts arose that could have ended the republic before it even began.

He truly served--not for personal gain or recognition, but because he felt called to do so, and he believed in the principles of freedom and liberty he and countless others had fought so hard to secure.

We could all take a lesson from Washington's humility, faith, and dedication. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite Washington quotes...

“I am sure there never was a people, who had more reason to acknowledge a divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe, that they have forgotten that agency, which was so often manifested during our revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God, who is alone able to protect them.”

“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.”

“Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. In one in which the measures of government receive their impression so immediately from the sense of the [people] as in ours, it is……essential."

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”