Randy Green's Blog

A Great Country or What? – Part 4 Spank the Baby! – Part 2

Spank the Baby! – Part 1

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When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].

As a father who raised two kids into adulthood, I have a little bit of perspective on teenage rebellion. Oh, by the way, I also have my own personal experience, which unfortunately is substantial.

It is pretty much mandatory during the post WWII era that teenagers know it all. They needn’t bother to waste time learning first. Learning first was the way of the old fogeys. Out with the old. In with the new. That’s the slogan of “modern” generations. What the “new” consists of no one seems to know. The definition depends on whom you ask. But why quibble over trifles, huh?

Responses coming from teenage rebels are automatic. They needn’t give thought to their words. Simply memorize a handful of comments and play one back automatically at every instruction directed their way. Something like this:

“Clean your room, son.”

“You’re always trying to boss me around, dad. How can I grow up if you don’t let me make my own decisions?”

Sound familiar? How they are supposed to make intelligent decisions without first being intelligent, well, that doesn’t deserve their consideration. How to be intelligent without first studying and also gaining experience? Ah, another old fogey concept to youth today.

I remember the lyrics of a song written and performed by the Doors. For any of you who are familiar with this group, you know they aren’t the kind of dudes you want babysitting the kids! Part of the song expressed a teenage rebel’s demands on the world. Listen:

We want the world, and we want it…NOW!

Tell the teenage rebel that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”, and he shrugs the shoulders and wonders what planet you live on. After all, he reasons, he’s had free lunches all his life, so he knows what you’re saying is a lie. His parents pamper him without limit, so he gets the best of everything without limit and without trying.

Even the liberal politicians give free handouts to every person who will put his hand out. It’s gotten so bad in politics that, in order to get elected, the conservative politicians so-called mimic this behavior. It matters not anymore which party is in power. Both are taking us to the same place, only the liberals are getting there a little faster. Dear friends, we don’t want to get there at all. I promise!

There are no absolute right answers for dealing with this mess today. The mess has grown over too long a period of time and gone way beyond redemption. Only a temporary reprieve can occur, a Josiah type of reform if you would, and that is the best case scenario. We are a dying culture and the last gasp is frighteningly nearer than we imagine.

We must pause and refresh ourselves in the presence of the Lord Jesus now. Tomorrow we will continue this study.

To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:

http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B00507WC86