2 For
people will be lovers of self and[utterly] self-centered, lovers of
money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth,
proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive
(blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and
profane.
3 [They
will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless
(admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false
accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and
conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4 [They
will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They
will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more
than and rather than lovers of God.
5 For
[although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and
reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the
genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from
them].”
Dear people of God, when I was a child growing up, the practice
then was fathers working to earn a living to support the home whilst mothers
were taking care of the kids at home with the support of relatives who lived
with them.
It was easy for the mothers to monitor their kids, teach them
God’s Word, take them to Church and even do school runs for their drop off and
pick up.
In today’s world, relatives have been replaced by domestic helps
who are not blood relatives while fathers and mothers are both working to
support the home to provide for the family since costs of living has risen over
the years.
Unfortunately, this decision to have both parents working to
earn a living and children left in the hands of total strangers at home has
caused serious damage to the spiritual well-being of the kids even as their
material well-being is taken care of though not in all cases.
There are many sad and horrific reports of kids, both male and
female, abused physically and even sexually by domestic helps, neighbours and
even relatives of the family when both parents are out of the home.
There is a void in every human being that can only be filled by
the Spirit of Almighty God and Father of my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.
However, since the quest for material well-being has become the
focus of both parents, many parents neglect their kids’ spiritual well-being,
which is the major reason why the society has helped them fill this void in
their kids with recreational and hard drugs, pornography, alcohol, orgies,
parties, music and literature that defile the person rather than edify and so
on and so forth.
The consequence is seen in modern societies especially in so
called developed countries where youth hardly know or even have time for God
but have time for the very activities that offend God.
The society is filled with well-educated youth whose
pre-occupation is pleasure, pleasure and pleasure to satisfy their fleshly
cravings.
Paul the Apostle through God’s Holy Spirit documented these issues
thousands of years ago as confirmed in today’s main Holy Bible text above.
So what should parents do to help their kids?
Before you can help your kids, you must have the right
foundation, which means first building your spiritual life by returning to God,
recognizing, and acknowledging Him as the Source of your life in every area.
Understand that whether you believe it or not, whether you like
it or not, a day must come for all humans including you to exit this world at
death and everything you have been chasing in this world ends that same day.
As you exit this world, you are automatically entering into
eternity where you will encounter the very issue you thought was unimportant,
which is your personal relationship with God and His commands in His Holy Bible
while you were alive on earth.
This reality must henceforth shape your words, thoughts and
every aspect of your life as you seek God with a genuine heart in
uncompromising obedience to His commands in the Holy Bible.
As you re-focus your life on building yourself spiritually and
also building your kids spiritually as well, what you would notice is that as
proof of the genuineness of His Word in the Bible in Matthew 6:33-34, God would
take you as His child and provide these material things you once bothered
yourself about.
It is then you would see and understand that no matter how
turbulent the economy of your nation becomes, God is still in charge and would
never fail anyone of His children who trust ABSOLUTELY in Him.
You don’t need to steal, lie, cheat or defraud anyone and you
would always appreciate God for being true to His Word and also obey His
command to tell others about His goodness in your life so they too can leave
their life of sinful ignorance to embrace the saving grace found only in Jesus
Christ.
Jesus Christ is coming shortly to take away only His qualified
children in Rapture. Are you His child? Are you ready for Him?
Come to Jesus Christ today and now, for tomorrow or later may be
too late for you.
May the good Lord bless you as you heed
His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Powerful Name,
Amen.
Gabriel Ama.