How many useless and meaningless activities does our culture engage in everyday that wear out those doing them, but they think they must do to be "busy"?
We live in a culture that thinks we should be doing something all the time, as though quietness and doing nothing for a time is tantamount to wasting time.
Rest is a good thing, time to think and reflect without noise in our ears is calming, allowing us time to ponder God and His principles.
America has continual noise and activity so much all the time that it has pushed out any thought of God from their minds. Their minds are filled with the filth of the world, the false news, the fantasies, the violence and sex, so much so that all our thoughts are interpreted in terms of these things rather than what God thinks of them.
The more we are inundated by the ways of the world the less we can see the meaning of God's principles. Our culture, through movies and psychology have given many a completely wrong view of hell, forgiveness, God's love, relationships and most everything else. The Christianity of our culture, is hardly recognizable as the Christianity of the Bible. Even the Bible reading is evaluated by the things of the culture.
We have been taught not to allow anyone else to instruct us, therefore even though God commands the older ones to instruct the younger ones, they refuse to receive it, even punishing those who would attempt to counsel them, simply because they have been raised by the culture to only listen if it fits their desires.
Psalm 46:10 "10" Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Matthew 11:29 "…28 Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”…"
Our culture has made life burdensome by the continual competition to be the ones who do the most, become the best and are master of their own pleasures.
Colossians 3:17
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Proverbs 4:20-22
"My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh."
When our minds are continually focused on the noise around us, we cannot be focused on God. When we are busy figuring out our own way without consulting God, we cannot hear His voice.
Isaiah 30:15 "15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing,"
Notice in that verse about 70X7 it says this;
Luke 17:4 "4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” In this verse it is clear that the person must come and ask forgiveness that many times to be forgiven that many times.
No place in the Bible does it say to forgive those who are not sorry.
Isaiah 26:10 "10 Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD. "
Forgiveness to an un-sorrowful man does not cause them to be sorry, it only further hardens their heart.
Haughtiness: exuding the appearance of being superior.
Isaiah 16:6 "We have heard of the pride of Moab, an excessive pride; Even of his arrogance, pride, and fury; His idle boasts are false."
Romans 12:16
"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."
When we see someone treating a "less intelligent or less educated" person with contempt, we are witnessing arrogance. Intelligence does not mean superiority, in fact it is wisdom that determines a man's wealth of intellect. Many haughty people display less wisdom than the very people they mock and demean.
Narcissists attempt to impress and exude charm, when in the presence of those above them, but treat with contempt and disdain those they perceive to be beneath them.
If you are being treated with contempt and dismissiveness then you are seeing how the narcissist feels about you, you are, in their minds, beneath them, not worthy of kindness and consideration.
The actions of the narcissists tell you their attitude toward you, they don't have to speak a word, you will know by their conduct, lack of manners and kindness are always present for those who are lesser than in the mind of the narcissist.
Covert narcissists will be sure to do this in secret to their target when no one is looking, and even deny it when confronted to maintain their false persona in the presence of those they wish to impress.
Two things, pray that the Lord show us our blind spots to discover what may be in us that is displeasing to God and secondly, pray that the Lord will help us to learn how to respond when faced with malicious cruelty.
Christ was treated shamefully, mocked, tortured and demeaned even though all He ever did was good, total and complete sacrifice for those who hated Him, and yet He went to the cross anyway.
He left the presence of those who rejected Him and went on to die for them, leaving their final response to God the Father. We can take a lesson from this. We can move on from those who have rejected us, never allowing that rejection to make us timid or relent from continuing on with new people.
Rejection is common, continual and the life God has for us, let our trials not be because we have sinned, fallen into the trap of the narcissist to respond ourselves in a narcissistic way.
Matthew 5:9-11 "…9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.…"
Galatians 6:8-10 "8 The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.…"
1 Peter 3:16-18 "…16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who slander you will be put to shame by your good behavior in Christ. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive in the spirit,…"
