We are actually born with narcissistic tendencies, it is called original sin. In our present climate of the teaching of self esteem we have fostered an entitlement mentality beginning in the early years. The fewer societal restraints we have on inappropriate and mean behavior, the more we see this mentality of entitlement grow.
When our culture operates as though everyone is basically good, it will not be able to know the proper way to handle bad or mean behavior. Most liberals think you can reason with young children to teach them, and at times this does work, but generally children do not see a need to believe parents without some sort of corporal punishment to reinforce truth.
Proverbs 13:24 "He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently."
Making children feel special or in control, causes arrogance and a grandiose sense of self. It is one thing to be encouraging when a child is really doing well and quite another to praise a child when they are not. Encouragement means to express to someone that they can do something if they try and work hard. It is not encouragement to praise a child who has not tried, did not obey and turned out a piece of garbage because they just wanted to say they did something. To praise like this is nothing more than fruitless flattery.
Proverbs 29:5 "5 A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps."
I am convinced that children know when they are being foolishly flattered and when we are being sincere. The more we flatter the more we promote lying. To flatter someone when we know they didn't do as they should, is lying to them.
Proverbs 13:5 "A righteous man hates lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame."
Proverbs 14:5 "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."
If we care about our children we lovingly tell them the truth, we do not allow them to wallow in laziness. Laziness brings shame along with many other sinful habits. When we are lazy in work we will be lazy in personal relationships and diligence toward God's principles.
Proverbs 13:4 "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made fat."
If we love our children we are more concerned about their obedience to us and God's Word, than we are about their temporary feelings. They must learn to ignore their feelings and continue to obey. We do not negate their feelings, but we do not indulge them either.
We see an increase in crimes when the punishments are too lenient. When we do not show the seriousness of sin we tend to think of obedience as a suggestion rather than an obligation.
There was a times when the cultural taboo of living in sin outside of marriage was so strong that no one would do it openly. Because it was considered a base thing to do, almost everyone avoided it.
Christians wouldn't indulge themselves in it and even non-believers were not engaging in this sin. It was not considered kind or proper to take the virginity from a woman without committing oneself completely to her for life. A woman was considered the more vulnerable of the race, to be treated with honor and respect.
I am sure all of you have noticed that the more the restraints for sinful activity have been loosened, the greater numbers of people are gratifying themselves in risky and selfish activities outside of God's principles.
Let's take a little inventory, since the 1960's when moral restraints were beginning to be lifted through the Elvis craze and the onset of rock music promoting sin of every kind, we have gone from nearly no one living outside marriage together to same sex marriage promoted by the highest courts of our land.
Goodness.....does anyone think that all this freedom to sin has gained us something other than devastating us as a society? We have more broken and selfish people than we have ever had since the beginning of this country, with no end in sight.
Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!"
Proverbs 14:34 "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people."
Here we are today as a nation:
Deuteronomy 32:28 "“For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them."
For those of you who have found yourself alone a lot, writing, reading, praying and going about your normal weekly duties, I would like to encourage you, that this is a typical existence for those who are sold out to Jesus Christ.
My dear friends now live a long ways away, but our friendship will never be disturbed because we desire the same things. We are like minded, wanting truth to be from God's Word, while seeking to be and expecting to grow in holiness.
Most of modern Christendom has little use for our kind of radicalism. We don't talk the same talk or walk the same walk as those who love the things of the world, even though they use the name of Christ to elevate themselves or to experience a feeling of safety when hardship comes.
As true believers we don't wait until there is a disaster to rush to the One Whom we think can make everything better. Those who do this are not walking with God, they are using Him, like a spiritual puppet, to do their bidding when they find themselves in a situation they have no control over.
These people don't love Christ, as commanded in the first commandment. They merely admire Him for what He could give them.
How would you feel if the only time your adult children paid any attention to you was when they needed something from you? All other times they ignore you, even mock you, neglect you, remove themselves from you in times of greatest need?
This is what our modern Christendom has done, taught people to pray when the going gets rough, but they are not even told who to pray to, or what to pray about. They believe "praying", merely speaking words into the wind, will have power all by itself. They never glorify or bless God any other time. Their "devotion" is embarrassingly insincere at best and completely self absorbed.
Matthew 22:36-38
"…36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38"This is the great and foremost commandment...."
Those who think they will have God's ear when they have no interest in loving Him, are diluted and fictional in their thinking. God has clearly said that He will not hear the prayers of those who do not love Him.
John 9:31
"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."
Proverbs 28:9
"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination."
Isaiah 1:14-16
"…14"I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15"So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil."
Proverbs 1:26-28
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
These verses should frighten those who attempt to use God. Far too many people believe God winks at and overlooks their sinful hearts. They believe He will come running when they are in distress no matter how sinful their heart is, or how many times they ignored Him when He tried to speak to them.
God will only hear the prayers of those who confess their sin while the Holy Spirit lives in them. Those who are not born again, will only be heard if they are praying a prayer of contrition desiring to be cleansed of their sin. All other fox hole prayers just to be saved from trouble, will not be heard.
