'The Talk'

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Colossians3:20NIV

It seems that every time someone on radio or TV wants to make their minor point to a wider audience, they say things like: Let’s have that conversation, or We need to talk about this, or Have you had the chat with your kids yet?

Apparently, the latest ‘talk fad’ to have with your young children revolves around checking or asking if they are happy as a boy or girl, and opening up the subject, ever so gently of course, that Johnny might feel happier as Jenny, and vice versa. Therefore the whole minefield of gender identity is raised with a 6 year old, ever so gently again of course.

Who are we kidding? How were our leaders brought round to thinking this was a good thing? I find it hard to believe they are quite so daft, but maybe this makes the point for me. The “let’s talk about this” culture has now dropped into our pre-school children’s lives, and we can only lay the blame at their parents door. Personal story: a 3 year old managed to climb up on the dining room chair, and from there onto the table while mum was distracted talking. Mum takes the situation in hand by suggesting this is not a safe place to be, and would she like to come down? Then added the thought that the toddler could scuff her new shoes. This conversation took place between an unhappy 3 year old on top of a polished dining table, and an adult who hadn’t covered this situation in her “self help” book. What? You think I’m joking??

This “Let’s talk this through” phenomena with a toddler seems to be growing, and I can’t help but wonder why? Are parents (sorry but it’s usually mums) so afraid to be direct with their children that the poor kid might be scarred for life, or perish the thought, even offended? Do the parents want to abdicate responsibility, and just become best buddies? Do we now view our toddlers as ‘little adults’, so treat them as such?

Let me be open here. Don’t these offenders (the parents, not the children) see how stupid they look to others as they try to (ever so gently of course) discuss and reason their child out of wilful damage, sheer bad manners, or even bad tempered disrespect? I am glad I was brought up to respect and love my parents, and it wasn’t because they treated me as an equal. They were the parents, but more importantly, I was brought up to know it. You may think I am out of order, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if our nation needed to invoke military service, or conscription? We would be depending on this entitled generation to protect us all from a violent, destructive, and single minded enemy. We may as well wave the white flag right away, and ask if they want to chat over a cup of tea. Far fetched? You think so??

Remaining

It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree have been broken off, and the branch of a wild olive tree has been joined to that first tree. If you are not a Jew, you are the same as that wild branch, and you now share the strength and life of the first tree. But don’t act as if you are better than those branches that were broken off. You have no reason to be proud of yourself, because you don’t give life to the root. The root gives life to you. You might say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be joined to their tree.” That is true. But those branches were broken off because they did not believe. And you continue to be part of the tree only because you believe. Don’t be proud, but be afraid. If God did not let the natural branches of that tree stay, he will not let you stay if you stop believing. So you see that God is kind, but he can also be very strict. He punishes those who stop following him. But he is kind to you, if you continue trusting in his kindness. If you don’t continue depending on him, you will be cut off from the tree. Romans 11:17-22 (ERV)

We have the makings of an age old problem right here in these verses. Paul is reminding the church in Rome that, as Gentiles, they have all the same rights to salvation as the Jews. So far so good. Then the Apostle Paul, veteran of many missionary trips and epistles, seems to suggest that both the Jews and the Gentiles can be denied salvation if they don’t keep believing. Correction, he doesn’t ‘seem to suggest’, he says it outright and unambiguously.

Although the chosen and promised people were close to God’s heart as a nation, some individuals within the tribes were disobedient, and therefore cut off from the root. So, some Jews will be lost eternally, and therefore some who once were saved can indeed be lost too.

The first 8 chapters of Romans are often, and almost exclusively, used to show that when you are saved, you are saved forever….no matter what. Likewise chapters 12 to the end of the book. But when you read chapters 9,10 and 11, you get Paul’s argument to counter that belief. It is true that God’s love is unchanging towards us, and nothing can diminish it, but Paul compares the Jews who stepped out of His will to the Gentiles who stop believing. In each case, not all do, but some will.

When it comes to the free gift of salvation and choice, the old saying is true. Keep short accounts. Stay close, obey, and confess our failings often. Pray that God removes the heart of stone, and replaces it with a heart of flesh as recorded in Ezekiel 36:26 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” My only careful warning is that your prayer will be answered, and what a difference it will make to your Christian life. In fact you may never slip back from the salvation Jesus the Christ earned on your behalf.

Now What?

Then Jesus said, ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’ Mark 4:9 NIV

Imagine you are in a discussion and the argument is going back and forth with no progress. Out of the blue your friend says something to stop the conversation in its tracks. You hear your friend say, “Now that I have your attention….” and proceeds to finish his sentence. Normally, the discussion is over at this point because instead of thinking what to say next while your friend is still speaking, he has your full attention. You are no longer speaking over him/her.

On more than one occasion, Jesus used the expression: ‘Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.’ He is saying, now that I have your attention, stop your arguing and listen. Right then, all that is left for us to say is “now what?” because we recognise that Jesus, and only Jesus, has the answer we need to the questions we face.

What is it that has your attention, while Jesus is trying to get through to you? Money worries? Family troubles? Marriage problems? Health? Pain? Sometimes God can use times like these to catch our heart’s attention. We need to use our ears because Jesus knows we don’t always hear properly (if at all). We all know of times when God has only been able to really get through to us, and get our attention, when we are in a place where we can’t try anything else. There is only one person to go to, and that is our loving God.

It is so much better to listen up in the first place, than wait until problems and pain are the only way for God to get our attention. We can almost hear Jesus say to us, “Now that I have your attention”, and the only response we can make is surely, “Now what Lord”?