In our day we are experiencing the disrespect of adult children and their spouses because they think they are superior to their parents allowing them the excuse them to emotionally and verbally abuse their parents, merely for thinking differently from them.
These arrogant and self-exalted adults withhold their children from the grandparents as well as teach the grandchildren to disrespect them through their own example. Those who are full of self-will and disregard for others become jealous if their children love anyone other than themselves. They have a strange idea that if their child loves someone else they cannot love the parents.
The Bible teaches that we can love everyone all at the same time. Those who think in selfish terms fear the loss of the love of their children because they do not possess love themselves.
Love toward everyone is the command of God in His Word. If we have love it will be a character matter that cannot be manipulated by those who do not love. If love is a part of our character we do not want to harm others even in the slightest way, we want all people we encounter to sense the love of Christ and we desire that everyone we meet hears the truth of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
"More is caught than taught." The generation that is trained to disrespect the elderly will themselves disrespect their elderly, it is what they will be familiar with all their lives. It makes no sense to think that grandchildren will show love and kindness to their own parents when they have been taught disrespect in general toward others they think do not measure up to themselves .
Isaiah 3:5
"5 The people will be oppressed, Every one by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable."
When adult children train their own children to disrespect the grandparents they are making the way for their children to treat them the same way they were taught to treat their grandparents.
It isn't about teaching children to be respectful to one person over another. If a child has a disrespectful attitude no matter who they choose to disrespect, they will have a character of disrespect.
Those who have been trained to be loving and kind will do it all the time to everyone, no one will be treated disrespectfully because it is not in their character.
When a child is trained either by example or with words to be disrespectful or respectful they will do it because of their character as a whole is permeated with the traits they have been indoctrinated to follow. We train children to develop a character more by our own actions than by our words.
Sadly many of us in my generation attempted to teach our children good things but they chose to follow the culture rather than our teaching and example. Many married people who were not taught right from wrong and were influenced by their spouses.
Words have little value if they are not backed up by a lifestyle. A child who is told to be respectful but watches disrespect in their parents will do what the parent does and not what they say.
Matthew 23:2-4 "…2“ The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.…"
Matthew 23:5-6 "5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"
When parents teach their children that appearances are far more important than substance they are training their children to devalue spiritual matters while holding close to their heart the things of this world.
Proverbs 3:3
"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:"
Sadly many "Christians" are training their children to devalue the things of the soul and spirit while elevating outer appearances to be loved by the world around them.
John 15:18-20
"18 the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
20 Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well."
1 John 2:15-16 " 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world."
Those who wish to teach the things of God will be despised by those who have a form of religion but deny Christ in their attitudes.
2 Timothy 3:5 " 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!" traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,"
Timothy 4:7
"But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness."
Romans 16:17,18
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them"
We cannot completely get out of the world but we can avoid those who reject Christ and those who claim to be Christians but refuse to listen to the Word of God, making up their own rules and twisting Scripture to justify their disobedience and disrespect for the Word of God.
As we move closer to the rapture and the tribulation we will find it harder to have fellowship with authentic believers, most are pretenders and uninterested in deeply delving into the Word to discover God's truth.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,"
Remember knowledge of this does not remove our joy and peace, that remains no matter what. However, we must refer back to God's promises to us to keep from being sucked into the foolishness these rebellious types bring. They want to derail our faith, joy and peace, do not let them.
