My husband and I were discussing the world today and the
attitudes of yesteryear, while we were young.
My husband relayed to me an account when he had borrowed a
rototiller from his father. After using it he returned it to his father in a
timely manner but did not clean it up, except to knock off the large pieces of
mud that clung to it during use.
A few weeks later we went to visit his parents and his
mother told him that his father was angry that my husband had returned the
rototiller with out properly cleaning it.
My husband's response to his mother was one of shame and
sorrow that he had displeased his father, and had been inconsiderate to him by
not taking care to diligently return the tiller in as good, if not better,
condition than he had received it.
My husband never forgot that because the thought of
displeasing his father was disheartening. He apologized to his parents, when he
borrowed the machine again, this time it came back in pristine condition.
Now days when our children are confronted with wrong
attitudes or actions, they fight back, justify and level revenge against the
one who corrected them. Is is possible that our attitude toward our earthly
father and mother is a reflection of our attitude toward God?
We are just old enough to remember the days when children
wanted to please their parents, both of them.
Now there is evil favoritism toward one or the other parent,
there is disrespect when corrected and subtle forms of manipulation and
vengeance leveled against the one who will attempt to impart wisdom. The parent
that tolerates and praises children without correction, is the one is the hero.
God said it would be this way, but we thought it would be in
the distant future, not during our lifetime. Now we can see all that the
scripture says coming true before our very eyes.
The longing to go home to our Lord, is increasing with great
intensity. The sorrow we feel at this lack of love and respect for everyone and
especially parents of adult children, is shocking and grievous.
From conversations with other older folks I am realizing how
widespread this evil is, and there does not seem to be any sign of slowing.
When someone becomes angry at a correction rather than
ashamed, we know we have encountered an arrogant and unteachable spirit. This
seems to be the norm now.
Those who are much younger think they "know it
all", when in fact there is so much more they need to learn, but remain
stubborn.
They have been raised in a culture that has indulged their
pride and ego continually, rather than teaching humility by learning to fail
gracefully and wanting to be taught, so that they can grow in wisdom and
knowledge.
My husband learned from the reaction of his father, even
though the message came through his mother. He cared more about his
relationship with his father than he did about his own ego.
We are living in difficult times, the times of rebellion and
self indulgence.
We must continually pray that the Lord help us to not react
to the hostility, but to endure as good soldiers, telling the truth as we are
commanded and refusing to respond when reviled.
2 Timothy 3:1-9
"1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times
will come:"
"2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy,"
"3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without
self-control, brutal, despisers of good,"
"4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God,"
"5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away!"
"6 For of this sort are those who creep into households
and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various
lusts,"
"7 always learning and never able to come to the
knowledge of the truth."
"8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do
these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the
faith;"
"9 but they will progress no further, for their folly
will be manifest to all, as theirs also was."
1 Peter 2:23
"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously:"
When I become aware that someone is a fighter, arrogant and
unteachable, I must not respond, that the sinner may only see themselves and
that Christ would be the only one to speak to them.
When I see that the person is a trouble maker bent on covert
forms of manipulation, then I keep away from them as much as possible.
Proverbs 22:24
"Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a
furious man thou shalt not go:"
When we are constant companions with an angry person, we are
in danger of responding in kind.
1 Corinthians 15:33
"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good
manners."
When we cannot avoid an angry man, then God has addressed
that with great clarity;
Luke 6:28
"Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you."
I never ask the Lord to bless an evil man, except with the
blessing of repentance, that the Lord would do whatever is necessary to bring
him to Christ, and usually that is hardship.
However, that is God's Work, I have been commanded to bless
when I cannot avoid an evil man and I have been commanded to avoid them, not
becoming a companion of to them, so that I will not also be corrupted.
God has the right to hate the evil doer, He has a right to
punish them, but we have our marching orders and what we are to do what He
commanded us to do and leave His Work to Him.
