Our society has fallen
into a trap. We are a civilization in
decline. You might ask how this can
be. After all, we are more educated, our
technology is greater, people are living longer, our quality of life is better,
and we are healthier than ever. We have
everything on-demand. I can drive a mile
up the road and purchase any and everything I could possibly want or need. Or, I can order it online and never have to
leave the house. If there is something I
need, “there’s an app for that.”
I have 1000 channels on
my T.V. to browse for hours if I need to kill time. I have a PS2, 3 & 4. My Xbox live account is stacked. I have 24/7 access to my family and friends
via Facebook, Twitter, Linkdin and a myriad of other social media sites. I have 24/7 access to people I don’t really
even know but who I call “friend” because social media says that’s what they
are.
We have fallen into a
trap. We are more educated, but are we
any smarter? We have all of this
technology, but are we using it as a benefit or as another distraction? Is our quality of life truly that great when
we spend 50% of our time staring at an electronic display? Healthier?
There is a higher percentage of people classified as morbidly obese
today than at any other time in history.
In 1900, the number of people who died of cancer was 64 out of
100,000. In 2010 that number was 185.9
per 100,000. Our food is poisoning our
bodies while the media is poisoning our minds.
We have fallen into a
trap. The disconnect created by
“connecting” on social media has created a culture of empathy in word
only. That is, most people still possess
enough empathy to say “that’s a shame,” or “things shouldn’t be that way.” But social media allows us to
compartmentalize the tragedy that surrounds us and affects our friends and
neighbors. We are insulated behind a
keyboard so there is no need to engage someone who is going through a rough
time. After all, they may want you to
stop by and see them. They may actually
ask you to help. Their grief may make
you uncomfortable. Genuine empathy is
hard to find. Sympathy has become a
hollow gesture.
We have fallen into a trap. We are raising a generation of entitled kids who believe that the world is going to fall into their lap at some point. They have no respect for others, for hard work, for the law, for themselves, or for God. The next generation is full of kids who have no idea what a day without a cell phone is like. They have never been spanked. They have never been told no. The parents give in because it’s easier than dealing with the drama of discipline. Being a parent is hard work. Being a parent who disciplines is even harder.
We have fallen into a trap. Everything has become so easy that we have begun to think that everything is going to be easy! Yes, you read that right. Some things require effort. Yes, we are educated, but what are we doing to put that education to good use? We have better healthcare available, but are you doing your part to take care of yourself? There are 1000 healthy things to do, but do you sit in front of a screen instead? There are a lot of people that we call friend, but are you actively being a friend or just a spectator? Are you raising your kids or are they being raised by Microsoft and MTV? Do you pray with your kids? Do they know how? Do they know the meaning of respect? Do you?
We have fallen into a trap. What are you going to do about it? The answer lies in getting right with one another and getting right with God. This is a trap of biblical proportions and man will not dig himself out on his own. You can do your part in your own part of the world. But for a true, earth-shaking change to take place in our society, we need prayer. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us enact the changes in ourselves that will help us to change the people and the world around us. Humanism cannot do it. Secularism cannot do it. There is nothing for them to gain. For the body of Christ, there are souls to take back from the evil one. We have to stop allowing the evil one to distract us with technology, flashing lights, and remote controls.
Take back the world. Take control of your actions. Be accountable. Climb out of the trap.
