In addition to ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), blah syndrome, & blah blah disorder; there is now also the newest latest one; proclaimed the other evening during the network ABC evening news. They only said it once, and while I was doing a quick mental evaluation of the meaning of each section as they spoke it, I didn't manage to remember it; and they never repeated it. But sonically it would have sounded something like: "Blah blee blah...b'blah blah...b'b'b'blah blee blah disorder" where, essentially, "the child -just- WON'T behave, and reacts 'combatively' to authority".
In 'ancient' days they used to call that: Disobeying and Temper Tantrum. In Japanese (if I remember correctly) it's called wagamama. Perhaps other words like Unruly, Disorderly Conduct, and other similar terms were also used.
After they had named this new 'disorder', and told how the psychiatric association would now have to decide what medications were appropriate for its treatment; the question was posited regarding, How to tell the "disorder" from, just, kids "acting up"? That -IS- the question; for which the 'professionals' will need to devise careful scrutinizing techniques. However, to be sure, the "disorder", once 'diagnosed', sentences the child to DRUG treatment.
But the real problem is a different disorder entirely, and it is called: progenitoryfilially aberrationaldiscorrective prochristobenignantmyopia disorder.
Okay okay...I know, I know...I just made up one of my words again. But if they can do it, so can I! Right? Good. If this were to be said simply: Sin, disobedience and rebellion.
But let's tear this word apart and see what the problem is, shall we...
progenitor == parents -The fault lies with the parents
filial == children -Parents missing the boat with their kids
aberrational == deviation -Kids are misbehaving
dis == negative, meaning "not"
corrective == to fix what is broken -not correcting
pro == for, in the direction of, leaning towards
christo == Christ
benignant == Favorable, beneficial
myopia == short sightedness
In other words: Parents are short-sighted, not seeing the long-term benefits of correcting their children's wayward ways towards Godly fear. Not correcting their children towards Christ and Biblical Christian principles. Parents are not putting aside their own emotions of the present unpleasantness and discomfort of "driving" the "foolishness" out of the heart of their child with the "rod of correction" (Pr22:15), which results in the long-term Godly benefits of the "peaceable fruit of righteousness"
Consider the case of Adonijah, who attempted a coup against David and Solomon, as David was nearing death, and Solomon was supposed to succeed to the throne. In the context of his rebellion it tells us the cause of his ways: "Now his father had not hurt him at any time by saying, Why have you done so? He was also very good in appearance." (1Ki1:6)
Notice the word "hurt".
When the subject of "spankings" or disciplinary 'slapping' is addressed, today's "wisdom" says such things are barbaric, cruel, inhumane; and amount to "abuse"; that using such "violence" is not appropriate. But see what Scripture says:
"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised by it." (Heb12:11)
Notice the word "painful". How does a person learn not to touch a hot stove? By having touched it and felt the 'pain'. How does a person learn to look where they are going? By having not looked, stumbled, fallen, and hurt themselves. God designed pain for a purpose, for preservation. And pain is also a useful tool in the training of children, for their Eternal Preservation. Modern psychology teaches these basic principles in their 101 courses dealing with animal experiments; but for man, whom they consider to be just another 'animal', they refuse to apply the same principles. This is even a Scriptural concept.
But the thing is, Scripture doesn't play much of a role these days; even amongst those calling themselves "Christian". The June 2,05 posting by Chuck Baldwin at "News with Views" had some very disturbing statistics; statistics obtained by the polster George Barna.
Only 9% of America's "born again Christians" have a Biblical worldview. The article went on to list some basic specifications of what constitute "Biblical worldview"; essentially, they had to do with believing the Bible, acknowledging the Most High, being saved and living holy lives; things that anybody who subscribes to this ministry's doctrines would agree with. Basically, being a 'Biblical' Christian.
But my question with this first stat is: What sorts of people did they pole as being allegedly "born again Christians"? Did they confine their questions to those who believe in BEING "born again", or did they also interview people of all persuasions who might 'call' themselves "christian"? Catholics, mormons, methodists and many others call themselves "christian". Or did they limit the questions to (typically) Baptists, charismatics, Evangelical Free, and such? People of the so-called "Bible belt"? As it is, the percentage of "Christians" to the rest of the pagan population is miniscule; but if this polling was of those few within that minisculity (how's that for another new word!) who claim to believe in being Biblically "saved"... 9% is even more pathetic. That would be like going into a fundamental Baptist church and asking how many believe in the Bible being the basis for how we live our lives, and only 9% raising their hands. And what is the percentage of fundamental baptists to the rest of what is called "christian"? It's a decimal followed by quite a few zeros, before a digit appears. Thus, you see my question. What, exactly, does 9% represent?
Let's continue. As dismal as 9% is, it gets even worse!
Barna's survey revealed that "only 3% of Christian parents include the salvation of their children in the list of critical parental emphases" Is that, 3% of that original 9%, or of the whole? Either way, in what sense do the remaining 97% then consider themselves to be "Christian"? And how would they claim to be raising their children in the "disipline and admonition of the Lord" (Eph6:4)? How are they obeying God's command to "teach [God's Word] diligently to your children" (De6:7) ??
However, 39% think that it is "critical" (CRITICAL) that their children get a good education.
Isn't that special! (Yes, cynicism supresses the tears for a moment.)
45% teach their children that there are NO MORAL ABSOLUTES. Another 43% teach that there are SOME moral absolutes. Let's see, that leaves 12%. How many more categories can be subdivided out of 12% for the survey? Only 12% teach 'full' moral absolutes? Folks, this is not the 'world' we're talking about! This is those claiming to be (born again) "Christians"!! ...who already constitute only a miniscule percentage of the world's population...
Do we now begin to understand what Jesus said when He proclaimed that: "...narrow is the gate and distressing is the way which leads unto life, and there are FEW (few) who find it." (Mt7:14)
George Barna summarized his findings by saying, "Faith makes very little difference in their [Christians] lives: believers do not train their children to think or act differently [from the world]. It's no wonder that they [Christian children] grow up to be just as involved in gambling, excessive drinking, and any other unbiblical behavior as everyone else."
When you see a so-called "christian" rock concert going on, where thousands are in attendance, dancing and moshing their way into sensuality, and you are the 'lone' dissenter NOT in attendance...you are part of the "few". That mega church with it's thousands of members, where they are 'worshiping' and throwing doctrine out, and you 'alone' have come out...you are part of the "few". Remember, Jesus was not comparing the "few" to the world, but against those claiming, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many works of power in Your name?" to whom He replies, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work out lawlessness! (Mt7:22-23) When He speaks of the "broad way" going to destruction with "many" on that path, that is not the world; that is the overall 'church'!
Dear Reader: ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?
What is a disorder? If we tear this word apart we see:
dis == not or against
order == A condition of logical or comprehensible arrangement among the separate elements of a group. Something like: the ducks being lined up in a row.
God's Word is meant to be given to children in this fashion: "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;" (Is28:10) And the precept from God, as God's Word is "hidden" in the heart, as the "young man" has "taken heed to God's Word" and now has a "lamp" and "light" for his path (Ps119:9-11,105) is: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left." (Is30:21)
That is "order". Parents tell their children to "pick up your toys", or to "make your bed"; and ask, "did you brush your teeth and comb your hair?"
We are told that God is "not of confusion but of peace" (1Co14:33) When an older child is bombarded from every-which-way with the world's enticements to immorality and wrongdoing, on what basis can they make the right decisions and choices? Only if they have been trained up in the "way they should go". If they are trained thusly, "when they are old, they will not depart from it" (Pr22:6)
Horses that pull royal carriages in parades, past throngs of cheering screaming people, sometimes where fireworks are going off in celebration...how do they remain calm and under control? They are 'trained' -SPECIFICALLY- to handle such commotion. Several years ago I saw a special on TV about those who train the horses for Buckingham palace and England's royals. The horses are trained -systematically-, IN ORDER, for the task required of them.
Children are no less. If it is the desire to have children without disorders, they must be trained -in- order, systematically, consistently. If the parent commands, "Johnny don't", only once...and then when Johnny -does- it again, the parent throws their hands in the air in exasperation, and whines, "I told him...but he won't obey!" Well...the parent has not yet even -begun- to train Johnny!! Remember the Scripture: precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little. Children must be trained in exactly the same way the robin trained my cat years ago, to not hunt robins. The cat, being young, was quite a jumper and 'lively'...and so, as the robin dive-bombed him, the cat would jump, paws/claws fully extended, hoping to snag a delicious robin meal (or at least, since he was always well-fed, a live plaything). Thing is, the robin was smarter and always divebombed -just- shy of kitty's claws. This process repeated for what seemed like 'hundreds' of times. Well, you know they say (whoever 'they' is!) that cats cannot be trained. Well, yes they can! After that robin was finished with his 'training', my cat -never- again pursued robins. The cat could be lying down napping in the sun, and a robin could be hopping around scarcely a claw-swipe away from him looking for worms, but the cat would pay him nary-a-mind.
Trouble is, parents "give up" without even fighting for the Eternal Souls of their children! They don't even try! Yes, today's children -ARE- rebellious and sassy to adults, just as Isaiah prophesied. (Is3:12) And as Peter says, they are "accursed" (2Pet2:14)
But the fault lies squarely at the feet of their parents. They have abdicated their God-given duty to "train up a child in the way he should go" (Pr22:6) Notice it does not say "raise" (as I was starting to type it from memory, until I looked it up). That's what parents are doing: They 'raise' their children, feeding and clothing them, to adulthood. But as the Barna poles showed, they are not "training" them. They don't think it's "necessary" to give them the Gospel of Salvation. They think that "moral values" don't matter; after all, if absolute morality doesn't even exist (in their own minds), why should they train their children with those ('non-existent') values. And so, they end up on the Dr.Phil show, sobbing, claiming to have done the best they could, but whining that their children are incorrigible. Or they become the study cases for Super Nanny or Nanny 911. And when these parents are looked at, square in the face, and told that they haven't done their job, they either become belligerent or their precious 'feelings' get hurt...and they blubber some more.
It is time for parents to wake up and smell the coffee; and reach out their hands and feel the 'heat' of the Lake of Fire their negligence is consigning their children to! Animals raise up their offspring better than many people do! The starlings in my neighborhood fly around, the kids learning by imitating the parents, and they grow up learning how to be 'proper' starlings. But parents abandon their kids to the TV, video games, peer pressure, the atheism of the world's education system and the world's blatant pornography by which they learn immorality. They grow up embracing the moral 'values' of immorality; they learn to be prostitutes and johns. Excuse the frank terminology...but those are the facts!
If parents are concerned lest their children become diagnosed with one of the latest "disorder" fads, whereupon they will then be subjected to the demons of pharmaceutics, it behoves them to start "training" them up in an orderly fashion, in the "discipline and admonition of the Lord" (Eph6:4)
And remember: Don't be afraid to apply the board of education (and understanding) to the seat of learning. "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction (not drugs) shall drive it far from him." (Pr22:15) "Do not withhold correction from a lad, for if you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from Sheol." (Pr23:13-14) That is God's Word.
Of course, if the parent is amoral, being rebellious against the Lord, not living according to the holy commandments of Scripture, they cannot expect purity from their children...no matter how much they exercise discipline. Children imitate the parents. If you, as a parent, see things you don't like in your children, it's a likely indication of what -you- are; children 'reflect' their parents. Those starlings learn to become 'proper' starlings by following the parents around, mimicking everything the parents do; from pecking for food, waddling as they walk, and jumping up to fly around. Paul invited his readers to "be imitators of me, just as I am also of Christ" (1Co11:1, 1Th1:6, 1Ti4:12, etc) Paul could declare, "I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." (Ac23:1) And the whole point of following God's commands is to be of clear conscience before Him. (1Ti1:5,19, Heb13:18, 1Pet3:16,21) That "voice" that proclaims to the consciousness, "this is the way, walk in it", is the learned Godly conscience.
Again... the way to avoid 'disorders' is to live a Biblically holy life of obedience to the faith. (Rom16:26) The world tries to fix parental failure to properly train up their children by example and discipline, with drugs and psychology. But a well-ordered life comes only from the Lord.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by Jehovah, and he delights in His way." (Ps37:23)
Amen!
Reprinted from A Voice In The Widerness, http://www.a-voice.org/
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