Spoiled

Are We Spoiled?

"You kids of today have no sense of pride in being yourself, where's your sense of responsibility, why when I was your age I had to...

Isn't that how we are?

What about us? I mean... really, what about us, are we so different? We remember selectively... don't we.

We preach discipline but we are about as disciplined as a mop, or wait maybe that's how we should be. Let's look at that.

Actually, a mop is a pretty good description of how we should be, rather than how we are. A mop is a better servant than we can ever hope to be for it is always as ready as we left it.

It lies there waiting for a chance to be used in service, it works better when cleaned up from previous use but is able to be placed in service any time, any place, from the worst clean up jobs to the best.

Some say we should be a tool with a handle; but I say more than that, we should be a tool with the handle removed allowing Holy Spirit to be the handle. Something that we know God can't always say about us. He would like to be able to say "I can depend on those Christians any time I call upon them, especially those in Santa Rosa Beach."

However, we also know He does not want us as a mop standing dirty in the corner or in a slop bucket... He wants us clean and ready to serve whenever He calls on us!

If you want to know more, read on.

Are We Spoiled Children?
Robbie L. Rogers

Luke 22:39-40 "And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

In other words Jesus said "Pray with Me", in the garden... and they slept.

Peter says, "not me Lord, you know you can depend on me, I can do this job all by myself and my brothers, why, they are willing to do their part also, so you got it made you don't have to die. You can depend on us can't He fella's?"

Yeah but, look at the way they turned tail and ran.... you kids don't know what the meaning of what responsibilities is.. what a splinter we have in our eyes.

Luke 22:31-32 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Simon Peter, I believe as many others do, is a personification of the church, not to say he was not also just plain Peter, but he seems to represent the church (the people) in his actions many times over.

Christ said, "Satan will sift you like wheat". He did not say as tares, for He has put in them and in us the ingredient to be called wheat meaning something worthwhile.

And He says, " I will pray for you that your faith might not fail, and you will strengthen your brothers and sisters."

In the 32 verse Christ gives us a commandment... "strengthen your brothers."

What about us... have we fallen asleep? Are we any different from our kids?

We often receive very good teachings on prayer. Jesus was in full prayer the night He asked He best friends, His brothers, to pray for Him. They did not... do we do any better?

We are spoiled children! We have so much that we cloud our own ideas and attempts to become disciplined, we are just like Peter, all-the-while denying but knowing we are so undisciplined.

What we are really saying is I want my kid to be better than I was or I am. I don't want them to make the same mistakes I made.

Hopefully, we gave our lives to Christ long ago and I am sure we also gave all our worth and our most important blessing, our children.

What we are saying to God is... but you don't understand I don't want them dealing in that area... I want him here with me where I know it is good and best for them. It's hard to let go of your kids... your disciples. Jesus felt the same way, but for our sake He did.

Luke 22:44-46 "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."

Jesus wept tears of blood for His kids... we would like to say we do the same for our kids whom should become disciplined too. We and they are still being like the Pharisees, instead of being the willing and obedient servant we are self-serving.

Luke 22:37 "For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment."

If we were God and Jesus were our child we would have said look at what a mess you've made of your life. Praised be to God He is not like we are... we give our kids to God, but take them back as soon as it might appear things might go a different way than we planned.

Even when Peter or whom ever it was took matters in his own hand and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers, what did Jesus do?

Luke 22:50-51 "And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him."

He Healed the soldier and rebuked His disciple. So when did the disciples really become disciplined? It seems only adversity can bring out the best of some of us, thus falling, or failing, is a great teaching method in our life.

Why is it then when we know this to be true that we try to prevent it in our children and get down on ourselves when we or they seem to fail?

Jesus says in verse 32, "But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, strengthen your brothers".

He seems to be putting a prerequisite on our succeeding... prayer... it should be a function to us as important as breathing in and out. Is it?

I believe prayer to be God's second greatest gift (next to salvation). I personally believe it, I could not have survived the rigors of life without prayer.

Prayer is not just a want list, it is fellowship with God; even though things might not go the way we want it to go in our life, prayer is the answer to our first order of needs.

In the matter of our kids, if we were saved then will He not save them all the more, for what manner of Father would let His charges fall to Satan, therein lies the biggest battle we could imagine.

Eccles. 11:9-10 "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity."

1 Cor. 13:11-12 "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

There are many things we have held onto as a child, being an undisciplined adolescent is sometimes not pleasant. We have changed though... have we not?

Jesus says strengthen your brothers and pray. Therein lies the first steps to becoming the servant He desires... an undisciplined servant will be an unruly one... one that does not truly understand His Masters service. Become the tool in which Holy Spirit becomes the handle.

Want more on prayer go here: How Do I Pray?

If you desire to know more about this Jesus Christ who loves you, and you want to ask Him into your heart, receiving His Saving Grace please click on this Salvation Prayer