A Lack of Obedience

The old codger removed the corncob pipe from his mouth and shook it in the air for emphasis as he opined, “That’s the problem with young people today…”

We’ve all heard him, or her, ranting about the state of things, and frankly, I’ve always rolled my eyes when many in the older generation categorize the youth of the day into one disrespectful pile of dysfunction. Over the years, I have come to the mindset that you are definitely going to get more flies with honey than vinegar and it gets on my nerves to see people speaking about things they know nothing about. My tail feathers ruffle when someone passes judgement on another without even knowing them.

Maybe I think I’m “hip” or something - like I can relate to the plight of young people and their hang ups and issues. But the problem is, I’m turning into one of those old people- and in the wake of our world seemingly turning upside down lately- I feel like I have something to say. So hold on while I take my corncob pipe out of my big mouth and let the populous have it.

My saintly mother (God rest her wonderful soul), would always point out to me that parents are not instilling a proper sense of obedience in their children. Many a time I would roll my eyes over that- but I knew my mother to be very wise when it came to childrearing, so I tucked that bit of insight into the dank corners of my brain to pull out, dust off, and think about when I got older and more experienced. And you know something, she was right.

She would tell me how parents are too afraid to say “no” to their children. Even in the raising of my own kids my mother would tell me how I was always giving them too many options. She would say, “Don’t give them so many choices, just tell them what’s for dinner. If they don’t want to eat it, then they go without.”

Entitlement.

You know what happens when obedience goes out the window? We create a generation of people who don’t understand the harsh reality that you are not going to get everything you demand in life. God forbid we tell little Bobby he can’t jump on the couch, or stay up as late as little Johnny down the street. Because we’re always trying to justify a way we can give them what they want. It sure seems to make things easier. And- in our imperfect love- we want them to be happy. Maybe we feel guilty about stuff, and we want to overcompensate so little Bobby won’t “suffer”. Then you’ve got the other parents buying their kindergartens I phones and bikinis and you second guess your backwards parenting techniques.

The reason I have been thinking about this so much is that this glaring failure in loving and Godly childrearing has now become this Cerberus, this three-headed hound from hell, and it seems to be strengthening out of control. When children are not taught loving obedience, there will never be an end to what a human will demand.

Case in point: Gender neutral bathrooms and locker rooms.

Are you even kidding me? Seriously? We are arguing in our society today to defend our daughter’s right to a safe and modest place to change with the other girls in gym class or use the facilities at the store. Reality has gone away. Where is America? The world is twisted off-kilter in its delusion that it must not say no to little Bobby- and we are afraid to stand up and speak truth. Lack of obedience to even the most basic truth has warped our world. This behavior is not right, people. It’s not right…

But here’s the thing. I don’t want to rant about the problem with people today… Because, I’m not going to get any flies with vinegar. And the point here is not to stand on my soapbox and rain down fire and brimstone. Because, you see, we are all connected. We are all in this together. And the sad truth is- there are so many, many people in our world who are desperately searching for happiness. But they’re looking in all the wrong places.

We all want and need love, and compassion, and acceptance.

If only we could show them what is really important. Who is really important. Jesus. Jesus is the answer, but He isn’t free. He’s going to ask something of you. Sure, He loves you with an unbelievable love, and that will never change- but He will also ask each one of us to follow. We must follow. We have to be obedient to His commandments, not ours.

In a world that is upside down today, and more than ever those old codgers have a legit bone to pick with the trouble with our society… let’s not spend as much time wringing our hands in condemnation, but instead, pray. Let’s pray for each other that the world in darkness will come to the light- the Light of the World- the only answer to our problems, Jesus.