I see on the news older boys holding big guns, stating that they have to defend themselves and their brothers because the police may come and hurt them.
I see vandalism of property that does not belong to them, and that has historical and cultural significance. How selfish that they do not consider what others think, only themselves. Are they so tender that they cannot accept that life is not perfect, and that others are going to disagree with them? Do they have to kill and destroy and vandalize rather than deal with their emotions, and with their disappointment in their nation's past? Where are their parents? I suspect this is a generation that has not learned to "play nice in the sandbox" but cries until they get their own way, and have no moral compass to know what direction is right and what direction is pure evil.
Public schools have not been teaching history like they once did because the kids are not tested on that, and in order to look good, their schools have to perform well in reading comprehension, science and math. Spelling, vocabulary, grammar, history, and other subjects are being left behind. I know because my husband is a teacher, and I have seen the decline in the education system first hand in the children I know. Where is the teaching about government and flag etiquette, patriotism, and world history? Are they familiar with the world wars? Do they truly know what communism and socialism mean? Maybe some schools are doing a good job, but by the look at this next generation, the snowflake generation, they do not appear to respect history, nor desire to learn from it. They are following the same playbook that destroyed Venezuela, and there are similarities between them and communism in their ideals.
History is important because we can learn from it and avoid making the same mistakes as our ancestors. God had the Israelites make memorials to remember certain events in history. And God instructed parents to teach, teach, teach their children, every day, throughout the day. Proverbs 6:20-23: "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." Rules and law and order give us guidance and vision and safety.
Deuteronomy 11:16-28: "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known." There you have it. How is America going to respond? Who is America? You and I. This passage in context is speaking about the nation of Israel, but there are some applications to America today. Are we going to let our nation be taken over by hostile men and women who hate our country, its ideals, and disrespect the brave men and women who gave their lives for it? Are we going to be strong Christians and heed the commandments and even principles laid out in God's Word?
Take a child. Should a child fear his father? Well, there is a difference between fearing the man and fearing, or respecting and reverencing the position of authority and that person's ability to enforce law and order. In other words, if you do wrong and you get caught, you are going to fear the consequences. They will be uncomfortable, whether it is a spanking, loss of privileges, hard work to restore what was damaged, having to humble oneself and apologize, or whatever the consequence would be. Does the child really fear his father if he is a good father? No, he fears the consequences of his actions. Will he be punished if he does wrong? Yes. Should that be the expectation? Again, absolutely yes! Is that something to fear? OF COURSE!
Will a child fear his teacher if he does not fear his father? No. Will a child fear the police if he does not fear his father or his teacher? No. Will a child fear God if he does not fear his father, his teacher, or his law enforcement? No. The Bible says in Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Should it surprise you then that when people do not reverence the Lord, they act foolishly?
If you do what is right, you have no need to fear the police. If you do something wrong, and especially if you run from the police or take a weapon from the police, yes, you need to fear! You have done wrong! You are not in a position to make demands when you are in the wrong. When there is someone in your presence who has authority over you, and like it or not, there are many who hold authority over others including employers, they deserve your respect and obedience. You might not like the person in that uniform personally, but you need to respect their role and position. That goes for anyone in authority over you, including parents and bosses. And respect pastors, who watch out for your souls.
Here is what the Bible has to say about this.
Romans 13:1-7 says, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. [IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT DEFUND THE POLICE!!]
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."
Bottom line: It is good and right to fear authority, as this will keep you doing what is right. Expect to be punished if you are doing wrong. How do you fix that? Do what is right. Use the Bible as your ultimate authority because it does not change. Follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Respect your fellow man, their property, and their children and animals. And don't forget the Ten Commandments.
Ten Commandments list
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall make no idols.
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
- Keep the Sabbath day holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet.
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