Emotional maturity has become rare in our culture now. Many people are hyper-sensitive because of their elevated view of themselves.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 clearly shows how this generation has become brutal and vengeful over nothing that should be offensive.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
We do not always agree with one another but we can treat one another with respect and deference when we do disagree. Sadly, those who are narcissistic judge people based on very little information about them because of their desired belief about them rather than anything they have seen for themselves.
Empathy, kindness, understanding and other godly qualities are nearly absent in most of the culture now.
People refuse to correct wrong thinking out of fear of being rejected. And, they are right, when we correct wrong thinking these days we are labeled, maligned and gossiped against as though we are the ones who are doing something wrong.
We cannot change these end times but we can learn to navigate through them righteously and cleanly adhering to the Bible when few others are doing it. We can do this......we can act respectfully, boldly and honestly even if no one else is doing it.
When we stop worrying about being loved and accepted we are free to be ourselves in Christ. We have no need to be loved and accepted by others as long as we have Christ.
These are the last days people are generally selfish and mean more than ever before. They no longer care how they come across to people and those who do care operate covertly to offend and harm those they dislike without allowing others they wish to impress to see what they are doing.
I no longer say things like: "that person is a nice person", because I don't know how they are treating others. Just because they were friendly to me for a few moments in public does not mean this is who they are to everyone. I might say something like: "that person seemed friendly, that was a fun encounter." But I will never declare anything positive about anyone else without knowing their family life, their community life and how they respond to those who do not see things their way.
I am a strong believer in not judging people without enough information, whether the judgment is good or bad, we cannot know if we don't live with them. However, we can judge the acts that we see as being right or wrong.
We can also discern an attitude when we encounter people. Those who are rude on a regular basis are "rude people", and it might be good to say to them; "you are very rude."
Because we have stopped addressing bad behavior openly people have become worse, more entitled to be mean and rude because they know it will not be called out.
Often we have to ignore rudeness because it will cause the narcissist to exact revenge and gossip against us. However, there are times when we can call it out and ignore whatever they will do. All must be led by the Holy Spirit and we must choose to remove ourselves from constant trouble makers. We know who they are and are free to ignore them.
