What Part Of No Don't You Understand? 9/17/2018

Good Morning,

Monday arrived as promised and it will last all day. I am preparing to have my first sip of Door County Caramel Apple Coffee with a few pieces of melon for breakfast. I enjoyed the weekend and it was pretty productive. So now it's time to get this week started.

 

 

I had to do a little shopping for a gift I needed and yesterday afternoon was the best time to shop according to what I had scheduled. I was not doing too well finding what I wanted to purchase, and the screaming  of a young boy about four years old wasn't helping me think either. I walked toward the sound to make sure someone wasn't kidnapping this youngster or something.

What was going on was a battle between a mother and her son. He was placing a blanket with a picture on it into the shopping cart for his mother to purchase. From his yelling I could tell that this was something he wanted. Now the other side of this coin was the fact that his mother was telling him it wouldn't be purchased and he needed to put it back. He screamed "I want this". She emphatically would reply "No you don't need this".  Finally in desperation as she reasoned with a four year old she said" What part of no don't you understand"? Now I am sure that there were some others besides myself that thought this meeting of wills would be best solved at home with a time out or heaven forbid a swat on the rump.

Romans 13:1-7 New Living Translation (NLT)

Respect for Authority

13 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. ² So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. ³ For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. ⁴ The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. ⁵ So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

⁶ Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

I chuckled as I walked away, and said a prayer for this mom and her stubborn son. But what she said about not understanding the word no stuck with me all day. We are children of God and I am sure that when we directly disobey Him and go outside of Biblical instructions given to us in Scripture, He must feel like that mother. He warns us of things that could happen to us as consequences. God tells us to honor the authorities put over us. Yet, we ignore speed limits and receive a traffic ticket. Then  we pray for leniency when we go to court, even though we are guilty. Foolish, foolish, foolish.

Can you hear God saying what part of no speeding didn't you understand? God tells us to avoid the occult and occult practices, yet. Halloween sales for decorations are out pacing Christmas. We say "oh there's no harm". So God tells us "no don't do it"  and then we go ahead and do it anyway. Then we wonder why our kids get caught up with things like "Slender Man" and other foolish games.

Here is just some food for thought. What part of no don't YOU understand? Are you acting like a four year old who wants his or her way? Do you need a time out or a swat on the back side?

Marty