I had such a bad experience at the ATM. I was waiting in the queue for the one machine and when I got to the front, I discovered it wasn’t accepting cash today. I went to the other machine and waited in the queue. When I got to the front of the queue three people who had been inside the branch came out and pushed in front of me. I protested and they raised their voices and told me that this is the way it works because they had gone inside and come back out. I became really upset and left before I actually physically assaulted someone. Seriously, it was that bad. I had no one to defend me either. If I had been big or violent there might have been a fight, but maybe if I had been big or violent I wouldn’t have been put in that situation. Whatever happened to common courtesy or regard to fellow humans? Have the end times really arrived with all the disregard of everything that has been held sacred for centuries?
I am normally very much in control of my emotions, but I do not like injustice. Injustice to others and to myself. I don’t like it when people take advantage of others. During my whole life I haven’t lost my temper very often at all. I’ve always been very proud of myself for not getting out of hand. I am starting to change my mind about that though. I know that Jesus stopped to plait a whip when He got upset about people using the Temple as a marketplace, and I understood that it was probably a controlled whipping which took place. I think if I wouldn’t have been arrested to assault that might have been an option today. Okay I don’t think I really would have, but I also don’t think it’s a bad idea to really get in touch with my feelings instead of suppressing them when I think they’re inappropriate.
I watched a video of people throwing stones at the police in the streets of Johannesburg yesterday. As far as I can make out they were protesting because they were stopped from illegally occupying land. Seriously? People are upset because they are stopped from breaking the law? I just don’t get it. These people are over emotional about inappropriate things and I think that getting emotional about injustice is inappropriate!
2 Timothy 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.
Jude 1:18-19, how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
That is what is happening all over the world. People believe that their own wants and needs are of prime importance. If a woman gets pregnant and it’s inconvenient for her, she is told that she has the right to have an abortion. Parents blame teachers when children get bad grades at school, instead of making sure that the children study and learn a good work ethic. Children are promoted to the next grade when they can’t even read. Because someone decided that children should be able to master work in certain time frames, it is now applied universally. Everything is not as it should be at all, but what are we supposed to be doing? I think that we need to be real. We need to be true to ourselves and what we believe. We cannot ignore what is happening around us. We cannot be like an ostrich that sticks its head in the sand and pretend there’s nothing wrong. We cannot agree with lawlessness and with anything that is contrary to Scripture, but we cannot go around assaulting people who break the law. I do believe that if things are not being done right we cannot just be apathetic because we are Christians. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we have to be quiet and sit around watching and waiting for things to get worse. We have to stand up for what we believe in. At this moment I cannot tell you what I think the best way is. I do know, however that we absolutely cannot ignore lawlessness and injustice. We are called to forgive people and not carry grudges and not seek revenge. That is not negotiable. I have to say what I keep saying and that is that our enemy is the devil and all his associates. People, however badly they behave, are not the enemy. We have to keep praying and keep resisting the devil and keep being the best versions of ourselves that we possibly can be. In the meantime please let me know what you think our strategy as Christians should be.
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