Things in my culture/country/society/world that I find to be horrible....other people don't find horrible.
Do you ever sit back and go, "How can thinking, rational people believe this madness?!" and just shake your head, wondering whether they in fact are thinking and rational, but nevertheless being convinced again and again that the Bible is more right than ever when it says "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (II Corinthians 4:4)
*Sigh.
This makes me sad, too.
It hit me the other night when Hubbs and I were at an engagement party for some really dear friends of ours. It was a sweet barn dance theme, so of course we went as a Cowboy and Indian (for every cowboy party needs and Indian, and where would cowboys be these days without Indians? Well, they most certainly wouldn't be in California, let's just say that. Thank you, Sacagawea.)
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| Eating and Drinking. |
Anyway, and while we were there, having a great time of eating and drinking and dancing and enjoying a night of merriment and mirth the verse came to my mind, "For in the days before the flood people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away." (Matthew 24:38-39)
Hmmm.
We are so happy our friends are getting married and approve of it wholeheartedly, but it did paint a contrasting picture in my mind. It's virtually impossible to look anywhere these days and not see the madness, which Hubbs and I had just been talking about it when we pulled up to the party. A party celebrating a soon-to-be-giving-in-marriage.
But the contrast was this: Hubbs and I HAD just been discussing the madness, but back before Noah----no one was discussing the madness as madness. Did you ever pick up on that?! The globe was about to be deluged due to their actions, their lifestyles, and they were not even aware that there was a problem. They were just eating and drinking and giving away in marriage. They didn't have an issue with the tone of the culture. They thought it was all good. They didn't think it was madness. They were unaware.
And my sinking feeling for our current times is that that's how people feel now.
The majority of the people in this culture LIKE what is going on. They think it's somehow a win for society. And so they don't think about it as madness. They eat and drink and give away in marriage.
Now, I am in no way shape or form saying that any of those things are bad. Those are some of the great joys of life here on this earth, and we as Christians should be doing them, as the Bible commands "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (I Corinthias 10:31).
But that's the caveat that has gotten us into where we are, and it's what got people before Noah in their predicament:
The Glory of God.
Well, a LACK of seeking the glory of God.
From the outside looking in, the engagement party the other night may have had a similar appearance to a worldly engagement party. But we were not celebrating the soon to be bride and groom, we were celebrating what God has done. We were praying blessing and fruitfulness and ministry over this couple.
They want their marriage to be different from the world. Not self-seeking, but joyfully self-sacrificing.
I have been reading in Proverbs a lot lately and if there is one key theme it's that doing things God's way is always best. To go about things in our own ways is to incur judgment upon ourselves.
And that's what I see; what Noah saw. People doing things their own way. Loving their lifestyles, celebrating those who do not follow the words of the Lord.
Oh Wolfies. It's madness out there. But let us not be discouraged from eating and drinking and giving away in marriage.
Let's just do it for the glory of God, shall we?
Love you all.
Happy Wednesday.
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