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.........................."We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God." - John Stott

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Hey, Kid! Listen to Your Parents: Part One -

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Our human nature is to be disobedient. No one likes discipline. It’s far easier to do what ever feels good, from eating, playing, sleeping, fast rides and fast cars. If we could spend all day, every day doing only these things that feel good, we’d all be happy, right?

You know that's wrong. No one is happy being a drug addict, for example. Why aren’t they? Because when we live in indulgence, be it drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, fast lives or even simply over eating, even though doing those things may feel good temporarily, we are actually hurting ourselves emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Prov. 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." No one is happy just playing. When all you’re doing every day is playing and indulging yourself, there is nothing to feel good about or be proud of. In fact, you begin to feel terrible about yourself.

We all need structure and limitations in order to live healthy and productive lives. God's laws are merely good standards for healthy lives.

Disobedience is also like a cancer. It spreads. Prov. 22:24, "Do not makes friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his and get yourself snared."

a) It will spread through your own life. There is a verse in the Bible that says if you are sinful with the little things in your life, you will become sinful with the bigger
things.

b) It will spread through the lives of others. Humans are by nature sinful. It’s easiest for us to be that way, and like I said, it’s temporarily fun. So when we see others breaking the rules, many of us are tempted to follow.
Disobedience is dangerous.

1 Sam 15: 23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as inequity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has rejected thee…”

Folly happens when over indulge ourselves. Most people that have lived lots of years have learned this through their own mistakes. Most parents know that over-indulgence hurts, and do what ever they can to keep their children from making those mistakes. That’s why many parents set up rules and nag. Prov. 19:3, "A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord." Folly happens when we don’t listen and obey. Obedience to parents helps prevent Folly.

As teenagers we don’t like our parents rules.
Parental rules are a pain. Every time you turn around, your parents are nagging you about this or that, or punishing you for something you forgot to do, or laying down another rule, or saying “no” when you want to do something.

Many times we don’t understand why our parents lay out certain rules. My son once asked me what I would say to a friend of his that was having a hard time with her parents. He said her parents were always harassing her and getting in her face. I answered, “I’d tell her to obey.” The best way to get your parents off your back is to simply obey.

The greatest perk in doing that comes years down the road, when you won't have to make yourself go apologize to them after you've finally figured out that they had been right.

More to Come....Part II
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