A Careless and Disorderly Culture

Our careless and disorderly culture has taught the young people that excellence is not important. The parents have removed all rules that address clothing, demeanor and decorum. Because of this we see an overall laziness when it comes to hard work, whether it is in school or on the job.

When we require excellence from those who have a desire to learn, the young people become proficient in their task. Those are the young people who can succeed, even with occasional failures; these diligent people will pick themselves up by their boot straps and soldier on to begin again. Failure is not a problem for diligent people; they pick themselves up and begin again, perhaps having learned something that will help them in the future.

When we make jokes about excellence as though it were unnecessary, we foster an attitude of laziness in the young people.

I recall the news story about a teacher who decided to teach math, implementing all the expectation of yesteryear to help those who wanted to learn, to succeed.

This teacher required white shirts and ties for the boys and skirts and white shirts for the girls in his class. He gave explicit instructions in the beginning class meeting as to his expectation for the class decorum.

The next time the class met everyone was dressed in the required uniform, except one student. The teacher addressed the student in the beginning of the class, restating the rules of conduct to the class and declaring that this student who would not comply was not going to be able to stay in the class. The student was told to leave the class room and not return. The student begged and pleaded to be able to stay, promising that he would come the next day properly attired.

The teacher said no to the boy and ushered him out of the class. This taught the rest of the class that, no slackishness would be allowed, obedience to the rules would be a steadfast requirement, thereby fostering an attitude of excellence in the students.

This may have seemed harsh to some liberal thinking people, but the parents of the remaining students were thankful for the diligence of the teacher.

One person who will not comply has the potential of ruining the attitudes of the others in the class. To disobey the very first and easiest command of the teacher was an indication that the student did not respect authority and would probably not be industrious in his work, possibly undermining the moral of the rest of the class.

In Genesis 3 we read of Eve taking the fruit when she was commanded not to, but she didn’t stop there, she handed it to her husband to partake too. Rebellion and disobedience never remains alone, it always brings others alongside.

I have worked with young people off and on over my 62 years, and it is absolutely agonizing to attempt to teach a child who balks at your every instruction. One who will not follow your directives, or do what they have been taught sloppily to get it over with. These attitudes of mutiny, wastes the time of the instructor, who could better spend his time with those who want to learn while influencing others who may be weak.

1 Corinthians 15:33
King James Version (KJV)
“33 Be not deceived: evil behavior corrupt good manners.”

One of the reasons for the decline in the public school system is the lack of diligence in decorum and requirements to have assignments in on time and done with excellence.

Colossians 3:23
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

Our culture as a whole has teaches the opposite of what God instructs in His Word.

The only hope for individuals in our culture now, is Christ Jesus. Only through Him and His principles can we reach the young people. If they will not listen then we need to walk away and move on to those who will. There will be few because we are living in the last days as described in 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3
King James Version (KJV)
“3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do
these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”

Our world is full of Jannes’s and Jambres’s, who teach what is wrong and come against what is right.

May we pray harder and refuse to be caught up in the foolishness ourselves, that we might be an asset to those who want to know the truth, those who want to grow in grace, and even those who desire to hear more about the salvation offered to them by Christ.