Our Times

I was talking with a friend recently, about current events and the conversation lead to mutual observations that our society has become a sea of lost souls. Most think they have more than past generations but it never seems to be enough. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values and it shows.

We have more degrees, but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, but more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Proverbs 10:21

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life, we've added years to life, not life to years.

He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
Proverbs 11:28

The worst thing to happen in our times today is that society has abandoned Christ. I grew up in a neighborhood with two huge Catholic churches with large schools, a strong Missouri Synod Lutheran church, several Methodist churches, Baptist, Nazarene, Unitarian and the Church of Christ. It was a small neighborhood but each church had strong memberships and attendance was large each Sunday.

The last time I went through the neighborhood, several of the smaller churches were gone and even the Catholic churches no longer had their own schools and attendance is very low. The site of one church now has a fast food restaurant. These are after all, the times of fast foods and slow digestion, tall men, and short character, steep profits, and shallow relationships. Who needs church?

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Hebrews 3:12

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce, of fancier houses, but broken homes. Those facts are obvious when you turn on any news channel and see celebrities and the “average Joe’s” alike torturing their children with their inane bickering. Too often, the made up word, “prenup” precedes “I do”. I’m beginning to believe that kids marry in a church only for show as it lends itself to wedding pictures.

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18

We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals, more food, but less appeasement, more acquaintances, but fewer friends, more effort, but less success. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. I believe we enjoy less because we want more than we need and when reach a goal, it’s never enough. We’re trying to fill a void with useless junk.

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Galatians 6:3

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, pray too seldom, and watch too much TV. We've been to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We turn to drugs, but not the Lord. I wonder why?

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:
Exodus 32:9

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space, we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice, we write more, but learn less, plan more, but accomplish less. Granted, Science and technology have given us some really “cool stuff”, but at what cost?

These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Yes, there are pills to kill. What a lovely creation.

It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom. Today, many want to gain the world at the "mere" expense of their souls. Evil is contemplated and performed with both hands, yet we cannot lift a finger for our fellow man. Instead, it seems easier to walk all over our fellow man to gain what we want.

May God have mercy on our souls. Pray without ceasing. Let each of us examine our own ways. I don’t want to seem like I think all of humanity is doomed or not worth saving, but without Christ in our lives, what are all of our accomplishments worth?

Blessed [is] the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
James 1:12

As long as you still have another breath, it’s not too late.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20