I feel, as I’m sure many of you do, that we’re going to hell in a handbasket – whatever that means. When people ambush the very ones who swear to protect the public or when you shoot the very ones you’ve sworn to protect, this country is in trouble. And we wonder why our country is falling apart.
Let’s take it down a notch or two. I am amazed at the selfish people I see when I’m out and about. In the car, people can’t even stop for a stop sign anymore. Let me just roll on through ahead of you, because I’ve got to get where I’m going. It cracks me up that the people who hate their jobs want to run me over in the morning to get there. You’d think that they’d be dragging their tails in the door at 7:59 AM. See what I mean? It doesn’t make sense. And we wonder why our country is falling apart.
Our children talk back to their parents, teachers, other adults because they’ve been raised by parents who don’t make them go outside and play with their friends. They have no clue how to just play outside with whatever they can find. We don’t make them socialize with others. They are allowed to play inside, mostly alone, on computers and game systems. Mommy and daddy don’t make them take responsibility for anything at home or school. Teachers are no longer allies, but enemies. Everyone’s a winner. And we wonder why our country is falling apart.
We become offended when someone has a differing opinion. We’ve stopped meeting and helping our neighbors. Stare at our phones at the dinner table. Sleep with strangers. Live outside of marriage, but when we do finally marry, we use divorce as a weapon. We stop going to church. Believe in the strength of ourselves alone. And we wonder why our country is falling apart.
Then, when our country is falling apart, we blame it on black lives, blue lives, poor people, rich people, politics, media, and/or religion when it’s not about those things at all.
…It’s a HEART problem!
I read this fabulous article yesterday, “What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege” where the author, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, showed me a life I didn’t understand first-hand. She educated me on situations she faced simple due to her skin color. Without this discourse, I would have never been able to understand what people of color meant when they say they’re treated differently.
The meme of the black and white children hugging with the phrase that says something like no one is born being a racist or love is color blind is very true. So, where did we go wrong? When did those two children start to feel some sort of racist animosity towards each other? When did they recognize skin color? It probably started at home.
That home where mom and dad may or may not be married and/or divorced. Where they stopped going to church when someone got offended at the truth in God’s Word. Or, the church let them down in some way. My heart breaks for those friends who were nearly fatally wounded in Jesus’ Name by the very entity that was supposed to help them.
Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God. – Matthew 5:8
We’ve tried to be our kids’ friends and forgotten to actually parent and teach them all those skills that they really need – integrity, morals, ethics, and these things…
22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
Jesus is the ONLY solution to this problem!
Why? Because only Jesus can change our hearts.
Now there are a lot of churches out there teaching a lot of false beliefs. It’s that stuff that leads people into sin or leads them to walk (or run in my situation) away as fast as they can. Many never to return. The church will pay for that, by the way. If you didn’t read it in the Bible, then it’s not true. If you can’t find it, leave that church and find one who teaches from it. Be discerning.
I’m not going to say my church is perfect. No church is perfect. They’re filled with flawed, imperfect, sinful people. Even the priests, pastors, and ministers. Do I need to pull out Romans 3:23?
all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God
Those really mean nuns in elementary school who made your sit by yourself at lunch because they thought you were too fat. The priest who said it was a great idea to send you off alone to have your baby in another city far away from family so as not to embarrass them, so you could give said child up for adoption. Abuse covered up to protect Elder So And So. These are only some of the stories my friends have had to endure within their churches – run by flawed, imperfect human beings with the title of priest, pastor, minister, elder, Christian… But, I digress.
Why do I say it’s a heart problem and the world needs Jesus? We stopped believing in the very thing Jesus came to teach us –
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 And Jesus replied to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ 40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:36-40
Shake your head all you want, but no other “religion” has a risen Savior who taught these lessons. Living unselfishly and in service to others was exactly what He did.
Before I lose you on the whole risen Savior statement, read THIS. But it’s more than just being kind, it’s about being a saved child of God. With that comes a whole host of wonderful things. Those very things that are listed in the above scripture along with eternal life. You can find out more HERE.
Fulfillment in life doesn’t come from climbing the ladder while stepping on everyone on the way up. Fulfillment in life comes in service to others. The satisfaction of the job well-done is better than the almighty dollar. By the way, when did we start teaching our kids that money can buy happiness? Happiness is a choice. And we wonder why our country is falling apart.
I guess I’ve said all that to say this – it’s not a skin color issue. It’s not a black vs. white, rich vs. poor, man vs. women, or whatever-you-want-to-compare issue. Stop being offended by every little thing you hear, say, or encounter. TURN OFF YOUR TELEVISION! Start loving your neighbor. By the way, we’re all neighbors. Stop living in the self-centered world you’re living in.
Remember that hymn, No Man Is An Island? I used to sing in it church a long, long time ago. Tenth Avenue North did another version of it with different words and tune but it has the same meaning. Yeah, you’re not an island so stop living like one.
Stop living like the world revolves around you. Newsflash! It doesn’t. Stop waiting for everyone else to do something and start doing it yourself. You’re kids are watching you and if you don’t stop living in your own bubble, you’re kids are going to start being part of the problem that you and I already are. Change your heart, change your attitude, and be the change you want the world to be. Remember…