What in the World is Happening to Children These Days?!

   "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me" (Respect Aretha Franklin). I've heard this song many times but I've never thought much about this particular lyric until recently. I love children. I really do because they have amazing curiosity, kindness, love for life, etc. But children, and people, have changed.

   We could blame the change on many different things: society, technology, morals, etc. But that's not why I'm writing this blog. I'm writing this blog for 2 reasons. The first is so people realize the changes in people/children, we will get to the second reason later.

   Today children do not listen to those in authority, do not have patience, need instant gratification, whine, and ask why rather than trusting those in authority.

   When I was younger I, and I'm sure many of you as well, listened to those in authority. Sure sometimes I failed to listen to my parents or teachers but I did the best I could to please my elders. Today children do not want to respect others no matter who that person is. They use the excuse of "we don't get any respect so why should we give it?"

   Children do not have patience and need instant gratification. We could blame technology and say that whenever children want an answer or want to win something all the need to do is turn to technology. They have an ideal that they should win something even if they lose because we have participation awards.

   If children do not get what they want they whine. If they get an answer they do not like they ask "why?" Rather than being okay with the answer they got from the person in authority.

   Now I understand that we want children to be curious, want them to work hard, we want them to question things. But this has been taken way too far.

   We are headed down a path that we may not be able to come back from. This path of selfishness and no patience because we want what we want and we want it now. This path of "I deserve it." You don't deserve anything but death (blog link)! This path of disrespect where we only think of ourselves and do not care about others' feelings.

   This is when we get to the second reason why I wrote this blog... see I made you wait and have patience ;) Thus far this blog has been pretty pessimistic but, just like in life, there is hope. We can change this path. We can choose to go down a different trail.

   How can we do this? We can say no to kids and people. Thus making those people realize that they do not deserve everything and making them work hard for themselves. We can stop giving participation awards and instant gratification. This makes people work hard for what they earn and work even harder to get that award again. We can disciple people and teach them right from wrong. This will help immensely with the disrespect problem if rewards are given for doing the right thing and taken away for doing the wrong thing.

   Above all else we must come along side people, lean on God, and pray. This path has already been paved and it's not going to be easy to turn around and change direction unless we are all working together toward this goal. We must keep one another accountable and help children who may not have good role models. And, when it seems hopeless, we must trust that God has a plan.

   So, have you seen this path that people and children are going down? Are you willing to make these changes so that children's lives can be better? Will you come along side others, be a role model, and trust in God?

   Matthew 5:16. Romans 12:12, Philippians 2:4

Giving Up Your Glory: Sarah Hall of Faith

   "What are you really living for? It's crucial to realize that you either glorify God, or you glorify something or someone else. You're always making something look big. If you don't glorify God when you're involved in a conflict, you inevitably show that someone or something else rules your heart” (Ken Sande).
   One person in the Hall of Faith that may confuse some people is Sarah. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. She followed her husband and helped him make some not so good choices. Why would she be in the Hall of Faith?
   In Genesis 15 Abraham receives a covenant with the Lord. He is told that he will have a son and his descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky. In Genesis 16 Sarah tells Abraham to sleep with Hagar so that Abraham would receive what God promised. Now, this seems like Sarah isn't having faith in God because she's not waiting for God to work. However, Sarah was doing something many people now days would not do: reflecting God's glory. 
   Sarah could have said to Abraham that she did not want Hagar to have a child. Sarah could have been selfish and said, "I must be the one to bear the child of promise." Instead Sarah sacrifices her place as the head of the household and let's Hagar bear her child.  
   Now, we all know the rest of the story. Hagar mistreated Sarah, Sarah mistreated Hagar, God says Sarah will have a child at the age of ninety, Sarah laughed, Isaac is born, and Ishmael and Hagar are sent away. It kind of sounds like a soap opera. But, the point we need to take from all this is Sarah is in the Hall of Faith for a reason. She had faith and would have given up her glory in order to make sure the covenant was fulfilled.
   So, will you choose to reflect God's glory? Will you choose to follow God's plan and trust in him?

   Genesis 16, Genesis 21, 1 Corinthians 10:31

The Legend of Selfishness

   Years ago I was introduced to a movie called The School of Rock. I became interested in this movie because I wanted to be a teacher. The movie is about a man named Dewey who owes rent to his roommate. His roommate's girlfriend keeps telling his roommate that he needs to tell Dewey to pay rent or kick him out. 

   Dewey is in a band but he gets kicked out. One day the apartment is called by a principal asking for Ned, Dewey's roommate, to come and substitute at their school. Dewey pretends to be Ned. While at the school, Dewey does not teach the students anything. He is actually more excited about the end of the school day than the kids are!

   The next day Dewey hears the students playing instruments in music class. He gets the idea to make the class into a band. Then the students ask Dewey what they are going to sing. Dewey then sings the legend of the rent to the students (link to song here).

   What I find interesting is the whole song is about Dewey's resentment toward just about every one. He is upset at Ned and his girlfriend because they are forcing him to pay rent. He is upset at his band because they kicked him out. Dewey is being very selfish at this point because he is using the kids just to get money and to pursue his dreams. What he does not realize is that he is basically all alone in the world. Selfish people do not have friends because they use their friends.

   Sometimes we have a tendency to think only about what we need and want. We have dreams and we are willing to do anything to reach those dreams. I'm not saying that having dreams is a bad thing. But when we hurt others in order to reach our dreams, when we are selfish, that is when I have a problem with following dreams. 

   As Christians, we are called to love others. That means that we are not selfish. I understand that humans have basic needs like needing food, water, shelter, etc. But, when we plow through other people just to get those things then we are not loving others. 

   Instead, we need to trust in God to provide for our needs. And, we need to trust God with our wants as well. He has a plan for our lives. We just need to trust him.

   In the end Dewey realized that he was wrong to have used the kids. And, he realized that he was being selfish. He decided to let the kids have a say in the band. He let the kids write a song and they went to the battle of the bands. Dewey had friends and became selfless. To find out the end, you will have to check the movie out.

   So, are you being selfish? What can you do to show your love to others?

   Philippians 2:3-4, James 3:14-16, John 13:34