Day 2682 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

2 Timothy 4:3 NIV

This time, my friends, has arrived. We've actually been here for quite a while, but it's increasingly evident that folks nowadays have absolutely no interest in listening, learning, or trying to understand. We talked a little bit yesterday about the importance of listening to others, but unfortunately, ain't nobody got no time for that no more. Society as a whole has decided to divide themselves up and draw lines in the sand so that we all know we're on opposing sides in whatever debate or topic or controversy is unfolding.

And in order to make our little groups feel more impervious to being called out or challenged, people gathered around them others who say the same things, have the same thoughts, and see things the same way that they do. We naturally find strength in numbers. So the more people we can find who agree with us and say the things that coincide with our opinions, it just brings us the sense of validation that we tend to need as not many people seem to have the courage and tenacity to stand on their own. While that's comfortable and brings with it this feeling of approval and acceptance and power in numbers, it also poses some very serious risks that I don't think anyone stops to consider anymore.

You see, when we only hear what we want to hear, then we're only becoming stiff-necked people who place more importance on thinking we're right than actually learning and growing and bettering ourselves. When our opinions are allowed to become our truth, then the real truth that actually helps us is relegated just outside the confines of our safe places where we don't have to feel threatened with this idea that we may be wrong.

And people hate that idea! The idea of possibly being wrong is just too hard for many to bear. My family and I have been talking about this over the last several days in light of a rather monumental announcement that has unleashed a surge of protests and anger in our country. You see, for so long so many people have not been told no that they don't know how to deal with it. So many people are so used to everyone around them agreeing with them and giving them their way that they can't handle someone putting their foot down and saying that maybe they can't simply do everything they want to do without question or consequence.

This is why this whole lack of humility and willingness to listen and entertain the idea that a different perspective may be what we need is so dangerous. People have gathered around themselves more people just like them and they don't know how to respectfully communicate with folks who are different. They only know what they've decided is right, and unfortunately, if you're sharing a message that goes against their almighty opinion then you'd get more accomplished trying to put out a forest fire with a water balloon.

Friends, as much as people nowadays may hate the idea, sometimes we need a little comeuppance. We need people who are willing to point out the flaws and mistakes we either don't see or don't want to see. We need people who are willing to stick to the truth, not this new version that is completely subjective, but the actual truth of God's word because it's that truth that each of us will be held accountable for and judged by. It may make us feel far better to have a bunch of people patting us on the back and telling us how great we are. But what we need are those rare few who don't hold back out of concern for our feelings, but who will endure our rage if it means helping us do better.

It's a scary place for a society to reach where you can't have a logical, humble, respectful conversation with someone all because they have an opinion that differs from your own. But alas, that's exactly the society we've created, and unfortunately, I hate to say it but I honestly don't see us ever getting back to the common sense that one flourished in our world. I really do think that too many are too far gone, and once everyone has squared off to their corners, well, all we have left is a lot of fighting and arguing when opposing sides near the same vicinity.

Look, we'll never see eye-to-eye with everyone. There are simply too many differing viewpoints and sadly, those perspectives have been allowed to become the cornerstones of every individual's version of truth that allows them to think they're absolutely right and everyone else is absolutely wrong. And considering how deeply these opinions and feelings have gone, rooting them out would take a few things that are truly endangered in our world. Humility and kindness and compassion and understanding and actively listening with a heart that wants to learn rather than with ears that think they don't need to learn is the only way to make things better.

But those things couldn't be more rare these days, and as with something that becomes nearly extinct, the odds of it coming back to be widespread and common are all but impossible.

I know how much we all like to hear that people agree with us. We like being told that we're doing just fine and to feel like we belong and are accepted by others who share our opinions and value our unrelenting defense of those opinions. But friends, the fact is that none of us are immune to making mistakes. We're not immune to getting things wrong. As we talked about a few days ago, each of us have sins in our lives that we've not yet addressed. And if we don't have people in our lives that truly want us to grow in the right direction and leave the chains of enslavement to sin behind, then those infections will remain in our soul where they will hold us back from being the best that we can be.

Unfortunately, these days disagreements are not only commonplace, but they're the basis of basically everything in everyday life. We live in a world that thrives on controversy because it allows people to start yelling and fighting against those who don't agree with them. And let's be honest, most people would rather scream and argue than be kind and listen. After all, where's the fun in that?

So while the world obviously continues down the path of the reality that this verse in 2 Timothy points toward, we have to remember that we're still called to be different than this place. We're still called to set our eyes and hearts and minds on things above and learn to live God's way rather than simply conforming to the norms of a fallen society that seems to be completely infatuated with life at rock bottom. God wants more for us and from us than a life of hearing what we want to hear so that we can avoid doing what we need to do in order to fight to become the people He made us to be.

People will continue to gather around themselves others who tell them what they want to hear and agree with their every choice and opinion and perspective. But I want to warn you against doing the same. Yes, it makes us feel good to get that justification that we're doing everything right and that we're on the correct side in whatever battle is at hand. But what we need to actually be concerned with is being on the right side of God's judgement and fighting every single day to share the truth that saves souls rather than the empty version that our world has created that does nothing more than appease our self-righteous anger and ensure we're unbothered with questions or consequences.

The world won't get any better because people won't work to make it happen. That's still our task as Christians though. To share the Gospel boldly and courageously no matter the backlash or anger that we will face in doing so. People may not listen as the truth of the Gospel goes against the opinions that we have that have been carefully crafted to cater to our carnal cravings. But if they choose not to listen, that's on them. If we refuse to speak the truth of God's word out of fear from what those who will hate it and us for going against them may do, then that's on us.

We may be killed for simply being the messengers carrying a truth that doesn't compromise with sin. But if it brings God glory and may help save a few lost souls in the process, then it couldn't be more worthwhile.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold