What's Happening?

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour:
I Peter 5:8

The day is as clear in my mind as if it was yesterday. I was 8 years old and had been playing outside in the yard with some friends from across the street. My Mother came out to get me and while in that process, one of the girls told my Mother that I had said the word “darn.” It wouldn't have been so bad if my Mother had believed me when I protested, but she took for granted that I had said that “bad word.” Yep, in those days, it was a bad word in our house...a very bad word. It didn't make any difference that all around me with family, neighbors and adult family friends, I heard lots of cursing, but also knew better than to say any of those words myself.

Perhaps my Mother believed me, but just to make sure, I was ushered into our kitchen, handed a small bar of Ivory soap and was told to bite into it. After doing that, my front and side teeth were sufficiently coated with that soft soap. In those moments, I knew literally what foaming at the mouth looked like. Not only did that stuff taste terrible, but it was next to impossible to wipe off my teeth and even totally brush it off, at least for awhile. It stayed as a reminder for a few hours that “darn” could never ever be a part of my vocabulary even though it hadn't been. I was told that saying “darn” was the same as saying “damn.” That was news to me, but from that point on, even though in a lifetime I may have said “that” word, I can honestly say it's never been a part of my vocabulary. If I were to use it, I'm afraid that Ivory soap taste would reappear in my mouth.

That whole event seems so incidental as I look back. I mention it only in light of that being about 70 years ago. I've known in recent years, many children who are 7 and 8 years old using four letter words on a school playground that I would hope would make their parents blush. There are things in our day we may not like, but that are happening almost without the blink of anyone's eye. What's happening?

I look at TV programs in our day with the scanty attire, sexual passion, some cursing and all the rest that goes with immorality and any other sinful activity. America soaks in those programs or they wouldn't continue to be on the air. Advertising is often sensual or just dishonest whether on television or on our computers. It seems today, there are no fences or barriers protecting us from the ugliness of depraved thinkers. Because of that, we can be slowly pulled in to so much that years ago would have been totally unacceptable to us.

In the aging process, I learned from Scripture that society will not improve. It will always be on a downward spiral. Satan is the god of this world and he works much harder at what he does than we do in combating his ploys. In the light of today's society, “darn” seems pretty small and almost insignificant. Perhaps my Mother knew beyond what I knew that a word like that might be only the beginning of leading to more and other usages of other bad words.

Satan has worked ever so subtly and slowly to get the snowball rolling downhill when it comes to all of the things that have and are destroying the society many of us know or once knew. We feel helpless to say or do anything that will be of any influence and yet, Scripture tells us in any number of places that even though we may feel very alone, we still have influence even if only as individuals.

Peter spoke to Christians fleeing persecution in his day. Both of his epistles are such encouraging books for Christians to read who are either going through some tough things of life or in preparation of such. He speaks to them as a group, but each verse spells out personal responsibility expected of Christians no matter their state or time in history. He gives you and me something to remember as we may be facing frustration with our world.

But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood,
an holy nation,
a peculiar people;
that ye should shew forth the
praises of Him who hath called
you out of darkness into His
marvelous light.
I Peter 1:9

Notice WHO we are in Christ...we're a part of His Kingdom, we are priests, we are holy because of our standing with Christ. You and I as Christians have the privilege of being a part of God's holy Kingdom. We have a standing as priests in that we have the privilege also of praying straight to our Heavenly Father with no one to intercede except for Jesus Who is our mediator. But notice, we are peculiar. That word “peculiar” means we are to be different from the rest of an ungodly world. That can't be done as a group project. Individually, we are to be so different from the world that we stand out as an oddity. That will show forth praises to God, THE One who has called us from the dark to light. This doesn't mean, however, that we put on a show for people. The Spirit within us will direct us to be different from the rest of the world.

So when things seeming to go haywire in our country, putting frustration aside, what do we do now? Just a few suggestions that I am first writing to myself:

• Be a person of prayer...we need to pray in these days like never before.
• Be a person of the Word...it will keep us on track with our morals and basic beliefs.
• Live a life above reproach...enabled only by walking in God's ways.
• Set good examples before family, friends, church and community.
• Be a good citizen....in these days VOTE and obey established law.
• Stay focused on the Lord, not people...Revelation tells us Who in the end wins.

Sounds like tall orders but nothing we won't find in Scripture. When at the height of frustration, pray and be in the Bible. You can never go wrong reading in the Gospels and the Psalms if you don't know where to begin.

Whatever you do, don't ever say THAT word. Ivory soap tastes awful. The aftertaste has a way of staying with you.

Dear Father, help me to focus on the fact that You are in charge of everything and there is nothing in our country that comes as a shock to you. All indicators are that we may get to see Jesus in the clouds sooner than we could have thought. Give us the strength to endure the mess of our culture and not become a part of it. In Jesus' precious name....Amen