Society as a whole has become completely self absorbed with few exceptions.
This is the reason that couples in marriage are destroying families and children, they do not have God's principles as their standards.
When "anything goes" mankind reverts back to total selfishness. Whatever "feels" good is practiced rather than what actually "is" good. These selfish and determined child like adults are so bent on their own way that they will even bludgeon anyone who challenges them to think less selfishly.
Pretending is a common occurrence, even more than rational thinking. Probably because rational thinking leads to sacrifice. Sacrificing self will for the sake of the greater good brings much reward, but selfishness brings devastation, nothing of value is accomplished when we forgo our rational thinking in favor of what is not real, that is emotional responses not based on reality.
When we think rationally about what is best for ourselves and others, we will not be paying attention to our emotions much.
Our emotions are often not based on reality but rather faulty perceptions of how something made us feel.
Yes it feels bad to have to use a needle to take the sliver out of a child's hand, but avoid taking it out because we don't like to make someone cry, brings a worse problem, the problem of infection.
It makes us feel bad sometimes when someone corrects or rebukes us, but that does not make the correction or rebuke wrong, it just means it hurt a little. If one ignores their feelings and uses rational thinking about a correction or rebuke they might grow and learn from what someone said to them.
Those who become angry when corrected, rebuked or instructed, are people who never grow past infancy in their emotions.
This is what has happened in divorce and remarriage, people bail out of their responsibility for temporary feelings of euphoria only to find the next relationship is no better, even perhaps worse than the first one. When we must face problems in marriage or other circumstances, we figure out solutions, sadly too many people would rather give up the growth spurt to enjoy temporary relieved feelings. Usually the feelings are not relieved until they can exact revenge on the one who shared the depth of the problem.
Our country has killed millions of babies in our country because the parents didn't "feel" happy, the babies were an interference to their life of pleasure. Even though the mother and father were the ones who conceived the baby, they take no responsibility or empathy in raising her. So the baby is punished with a monstrous form of torture in order to perpetuate the "happiness" of the couple.
If any court of law punished an innocent child for being an inconvenience to their parents, with a sentence of death, our culture would be outraged and yet this is exactly what is happening in the abortion clinics. The parents don't like to be held accountable for their own actions, so the response of their irresponsibility is to murder the innocent baby.
Some would call this sick thinking and so do I, but it is really evil selfishness to the core.
When a society begins to base nearly every decision on how they feel, that is when the society begins to deteriorate and then fall.
It is feelings that motivate parents to murder their babies, it is feelings that motivate couples to divorce while devastating their children with feelings of abandonment.
Parents now days have little concern for the well being of their children, they see them as property to be used, abused and discarded at will if they become inconvenient.
This sounds harsh because it is harsh to do these things, but guess what, the parents who do these things will call us harsh for saying they are harsh. You judge, which one is harsh, the one who tells them it is sin to kill babies and end families, or the one who actually does these things.
If it is harsh to say these things, isn't it much harsher to actually do them?
Think about it!
If the narcissist calls you rebellious, you know they are speaking about themselves. The more they accuse others of being or doing the more we know them.
Proverbs 17:10-12 "…10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool. 11 A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.…"
Christ is the essence of the Law, He is the Law Giver and lives in every believer. We have no longer an excuse to disobey, He is our strength to obey. The Law was given to convict of sin, showing us our sinfulness, now that we have Christ in us, He does the work of the Law in us and redirects us when we disobey. If we are stubborn then He turns us over to our foolishness and allows us to experience the consequences of that rebellion.
Jesus Christ is called the Word and Law
Galatians 6:2
"2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ."
Christ can never deny Himself, He is the essence of whatever He commands. It is through obedience to Him that we become deeply connected to His Spirit.
Galatians 3:23-25
"23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
John 1:1 "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning."
We live in a world that thinks just "saying" and "pretending" is good enough it's the same as if we did it.
Narcissists think feelings are facts and our world is dominated by selfish entitled people now, basing everything they do and believe on how they feel.
If someone corrects them because they are wrong, they follow their bad feelings into the conclusion that their "enemy", that is the one who corrects, is an evil person, merely because they feel badly they were not perfect.
Even the slightest correction sends the narcissist into a tail spin, unable to bring themselves out until they can abuse the one who legitimately corrected them.
Revenge and domination rules the heart of the one who desires to be superior to others. Sadly, these people are never at peace, always on the defensive and walk about with their thumbs in their suspenders waiting for the next, as they see correction, attack.
We might want to avoid these people, but we don't have to hate them. It is better to see their continual insecurity, that helps us not to hate them, they are miserable inside when they are not elevated above everyone else.
Matthew 5:43-45 "…43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…"
Proverbs 12:1-2 "1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. 2 A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.…"
It wasn't bad enough that the feminists convinced women their job at home managing a household was boring and unproductive, now they are convincing young couples that they cannot make it without two career people in the family.
The home front is the career and a productive and diverse one for the stay at home Mother.
If we did the job in the world for others that we do at home we would have titles and a paycheck.
If we were a "house keeper", we would get paid and proclaim we have a career, that career would involve planning meals, choosing all the necessary items to set a pleasing table as well as arranging menus and the purchase of foods. We would also arrange for the purchase of window coverings and bed clothes as needed.
If we managed the finances of an employer and went far and wide for our goods for the household we would be said to have a career as a buyer.
If we cared for the children of other people we would be called a "nanny". The Nanny takes the children to doctors appointments, swim lessons and anything else having to do with the care of those children.
If we taught children their lessons in the schools we would be said to have a career as a teacher.
If we painted the walls in the house of an employer we would be said to have a career as a painter.
If we were paid to decorate the houses of an employer we would be said to have a career as a decorator.
If we did research and managed the reading material for an employer we would be said to be a librarian with a career.
If we mowed grass, weeded gardens and planted trees, bushes and flowers, for an employer, we would be seen as having a career called gardening.
This list is endless for the homemaker who takes her job seriously, and believe me, every one of these jobs requires research.
A homemaker does all these things and more, and yet because she stays at home and doesn't receive a paycheck, she is minimized by the entire culture.
Just because a homemaker stays home to do the jobs other people get paid for, does not mean her job is any less rewarding or lazy.
I have known many homemakers who work hard, providing for their family the things that only a mother could care about, while their husbands are free to excel in business because they know their wife is home taking care of everything there.
Proverbs 31:10-12 "10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.…"
Now lets address the intimidation that men have had to endure in this modern and selfish generation.
The men of the old school enjoyed what modern men do not get to enjoy. They enjoyed a home cooked meal when they arrived home after working hard all day. They went to their closet to find all the needed clothes hanging there and the drawers were full of their socks. They didn't have to scrounge around looking for the things they needed, they didn't have to do their own laundry or get their own lunches.
The men of the old school enjoyed coming home after working hard all day, to everything in place and done. You see, why should a man have to come home and do all his own stuff, when he spent all day working to provide for his family.
Sorry, don't come and say to me, "but two must work these days to make it", I will only tell you this; this younger generation buys far more things than they need to buy, silly unnecessary things that they do not need and do not add much to the quality of life.
Children these days have far more activities and toys than we ever had and they are more spoiled, bratty and selfish than ever.
Things do not satisfy, accomplishment and learning are what satisfy. All the family has to do to make it with Mom staying home is to cut out every unnecessary item. Stop the eating out of the home, stop the toys, cable tv, the movies, dvd's that suck the money out of your bank account.
You know what things are completely unnecessary, you can make a list and you would be shocked at how much waste goes on in the home of two career parents. And, to top it all off, even with two parents working the credit cards are still full, not too much as been accomplished with extra paychecks. The children are often neglected and left to others to raise while the parents are using up every dime and more on the credit cards, to play.
By the way, back in the day most families did not take vacations, only the rich. If you are having a hard time making ends meet then don't take your credit cards and go on expensive vacations.
Just sayin!!!!!
Just 70 years ago, nearly every women remained in the home, working hard to take care of her family. She did everything in the home that was needed.
The homemaker saved the family a lot of money by searching for the best buys, preparing canned and frozen food from gardens for the winter supply.
The woman in the home saved money by mending and sewing clothing, she was always very busy, never bored, tired at the end of her day, a good tired based on usefulness. She had many skills that most women do not have today, because these skills were taught in high school and by their own mothers.
Only those who do not understand the managing role of the woman in the home would dare to say it was dull or boring.
Any job, whether it be out in the world or in the home is only as exciting as we make it. In the public work place however, one has to obey their boss, at home we are the boss, we make the decisions and we decide everything in the household.
The narcissist is the happiest when they are starting fights. They poke at their target until they get a reaction and then they say, "look how you are", or "you are too sensitive" or even more frustrating, "I was just joking", when you attempt to defend yourself.
The devil has many tactics but this one is the most diabolical of all, it catches the target off guard and the initial response when we are verbally attacked is to defend ourselves. It is very deceitful full of provocation without cause.
The clue in dealing with these manufacturers of arguments and fights, is to refuse to play along, get up and leave and from that moment on stay away from them.
Never respond to the narcissist, as crazy as it may seem, when we respond, those in the room who did not see the whole thing will assume we did something wrong and the narcissist is the victim. The one who gets upset is the one others see as the trouble maker. I have seen this many times in my life, the narcissist pokes and pokes and pokes, the first two times we tell them to stop and they won't, then the third time we get up in their face and yell at them. At that point the narcissist has a subtle look of glee on his face as though he was the cat that just caught the canary. It pleases and feeds the narcissist when we react to their abuse.
God described these people in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, in verse 5 He clearly told us "from such get away."
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“Difficult Times Will Come”
"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, 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 men as these."
The devil is continually manufacturing ways to cause us to lose our calm and joyful demeanor in order to discredit our Christianity. The narcissist loves to make believers look bad so others will not listen to the target.
I some cases these narcissists are people who claim they are Christians, their purpose is to make themselves look like better Christians than we are, they must always be elevated above others. If they have no reason to appear elevated they will invent some.
The best way to handle these devilish people is clearly stated in the Bible.
1. Get away from them as we see in 2 Timothy 3:5
"5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
2. Refuse to respond to the fool: Proverbs 26:3-5
"…3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes.…"
First we do not answer a fool, and that is what his foolishness deserves, no answer and no reaction.
3. Make a practice of avoiding these people.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” "
The best way to handle a fool who loves to fight is to refuse to engage at all on any level, learn not to speak, learn to respond by leaving and do not react.
