Living In A Loveless World.

Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much!

Living In A Loveless World.

The family has come together for Thanksgiving, and it was a great time to have good conversations about what is going on in each of our lives. One of the topics that came up this year was the constant march of big companies and their effect on large cities like Atlanta. It seems commonplace that when these large companies come into a big city, they crush the local competition and destroy the jobs of people who have been working their trade for years, sometimes decades. In addition, people who have money and want to live and invest in the city inevitably drive the prices of real estate skyward, making it increasingly difficult for the “little man” to live there. Ultimately, the culture is changed from a once thriving community of people from all walks of life to an exclusive community for the rich. For those who love the city because of the flow of relationships and small businesses, it is a sad development.

We never did get very far in that Thanksgiving conversation because someone announced that dessert was being served, but I have thought a good bit about it since. What is at the root of change that leads to the destruction of jobs and makes it harder for people to live well in our country? Why does it seem that it is getting harder and harder for the lower and middle class to move up the financial ladder?

My mind went to the many things that drive people to do what they do and the trends that have been so publicized in the last three years, and I didn’t have to look far for the data. Here are a few-

• Education- Sadly, ours is one of the worst systems in the Western world and getting worse each year. Only 26% of the nation’s 8^th graders scored at or above proficient in math skills. (Nationsreportcard.gov)
• Suicide- Nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. lost their lives to suicide in 2022, according to a provisional tally from the National Center for Health Statistics.
• Crime- I’m not pulling an article here. You have seen the articles and videos that have made the local and national news. In incredible displays of brazen lawlessness, criminals are just smashing store windows and stealing whatever they can, or walking into retail stores and walking out with whatever they want.
• Delinquencies and debt – Americans’ credit card debt levels have just notched a new, but undesirable, milestone: For the first time ever, they’ve surpassed $1 trillion, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. CNN 8/8/23
• Black Promotions- From the Wall street Journal, “Yet on the critical first promotion to management, new McKinsey data now show U.S. companies are no longer elevating Black professionals at the higher rate of a couple of years ago and have reverted to nearly the same promotion rates for Black staff as in 2019. The downshift suggests that as companies’ focus has shifted to trimming corporate budgets and getting more workers back into offices, many have gotten distracted from earlier commitments to hire and promote more people of color, human-resources and other corporate executives and consultants say.” WSJ 11/28/2023
• Families- the rate of people getting married is down and the rate of babies per family is down. This will lead to the same problems other modernized nations have had- that there will not be enough workers to run the economy.
• What about the American Dream? Is the American Dream Dead? “The American dream—the proposition that anyone who works hard can get ahead, regardless of their background—has slipped out of reach in the minds of many Americans. Only 36% of voters in a new Wall Street Journal/NORC survey said the American dream still holds true, substantially fewer than the 53% who said so in 2012 and 48% in 2016 in similar surveys of adults by another pollster.” WSJ 11/24/23

Well, I’ve not been trained in some prestigious institution about all of the economic and sociological issues in the world, but I’m going to offer my opinion for your thoughts.

First, I look at the world we live in and agree that it is a horrible mess, and it is a horrible mess because of people. You may have just chuckled because if it is people, getting rid of them isn’t a solution (however, we have gotten rid of more than 65 million babies in the last 50 years).  

Let’s go back to the issue of powerful and wealthy big business. When I think of companies that have rocked the world, I think of Amazon who put bookstores out of business but created 1.5 million new jobs for delivery drivers, warehouse workers, and more. I think of Apple who crushed the sellers of cameras, flashlights, map makers and watches, yet employs more than 164,000 people. I think of Home Depot, the threat to the local hardware store, but a favorite place for so many people to just walk the aisles and plan for their home improvement ideas while employing more than 500,000 people. And I think of Walmart the retail monster, providing arguably the cheapest prices for people everywhere while employing over 2 million people.

This is nothing new in our country. New ideas using new systems and applications have been going on since the Industrial Revolution, the start of which is usually pegged to the opening of a textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1793 by the recent English immigrant Samuel Slater. In each new idea, we can find that new ideas are successful because they offer something that results in greater convenience for the consumer, greater productivity for the worker, greater efficiency for the company, and ultimately, more money and power for the owner of that idea. In addition, it typically destroys jobs that were important in the past and creates jobs that support the new idea. Think about the invention of the automobile or farm equipment. Both reduced the need for workers in industries of transportation and farming but created entirely new opportunities for workers that still exist today.  

I would argue that past generations responded to the challenges around new technologies and big business better than today’s generation. As I compare the studies that have been done comparing the generations, it is clear that the older generations were more dedicated to their jobs than more recent generations. They worked harder and longer, often forgoing time that would have been better spent with their families or leisure. Promotions and raises were based primarily on the merits of the worker, so a person’s dedication to the job was what led them to greater success. This focused attitude on work, money, and getting ahead, was not necessarily a good thing, but it did put them in a better position to overcome financial threats. In addition, they were also focused on making sure that their children were going to be prepared for the dog eat dog world we live in.

I find that recent generations are not as willing to work as long and as hard as previous generations because they find more value for their lives in relationships and leisure. I cannot say that this is a bad thing as the impacts of the previous generations’ workaholic lifestyles had many short and long term negative effects to their families. And by the way, I am not saying that more recent generations do not work hard- I’m just saying that they are not as intense and are more balanced in their life choices. The other difference from the old to the new is the growing belief that being the most qualified for a position (meritocracy) is not the most important qualifier for a job. Many young people today are demanding positions and opportunity based on being a particular people group.

For all generations it has been important for parents to make sure that their children can receive the best education, so they are prepared to succeed in the jobs for that next generation. Case in point was the tremendous emphasis on STEM (science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in schools during these last 20 years. This became popular because of the vast array of jobs that were opening up in those fields. Many children who did not have parents in tune with changes in the economy and culture were certainly left at a disadvantage.

In addition, parenting styles have changed drastically over the last two generations and gave birth to the self-esteem movement, the helicopter parent, and the entitlement mentality. None of that has produced kids that are longing to become self-dependent and are willing to work hard to succeed. Instead, we have a generation of adults that want what previous generations had and more, but are unwilling to do what is necessary to get there and at times, they look more like whiny and emotional middle school children than they do adults. We even have a new word that describes the difficulties of becoming real adults- “adulting.”  

These are some practical observations that I have made but it still doesn’t address the root cause of the behavior behind all of these trends. Why are so many people in such despair that we would have record suicides? Why are so many parents choosing to not have babies? Why do so many people get into the rabbit hole of debt? Why have companies that were once bragging about promoting blacks to higher places in management, now going back to their former patterns? Why are people openly committing crimes like never before? Why do big corporations seemingly have no conscience when it comes to crushing the small businessowner and the everyday man?

The answers will not be found in the halls of the so called experts. There are no government or private programs that will solve these problems because the root cause of the problem is the character of man. And to speak to the character of man, we must go to the only perfect source of wisdom- The Bible.

Can you see the common thread that runs through so much of what we have talked about? Yes, it is money. The Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Money is an inanimate thing and has no bent toward evil in itself; but how we think about and handle money dictates whether our use and desire for money is healthy or sinful.

Why didn’t the owners of Amazon stop when they crushed their first 1,000 bookstores? Why didn’t the main stockholders of Apple stop crushing the competition when they were a company worth only 1 trillion dollars? Or why don’t these companies decide to take just half of their billions of excess profits and try to build the communities that they operate in? And it isn’t just the gigantic companies that we should ask questions of; what about the individual investor that started buying single family homes in the city and now owns 25 homes. Due to his activity and the activities of others, they are driving up the prices and rents in the city, making it harder for those less fortunate to live there. When will that investor have enough?

You can answer all of those questions by citing the sins of greed, idolatry, lust for money, and power. But this is also true- you could give money to all of the disenfranchised people in the country, but very few would experience a long term benefit. Almost every person that wins the lottery eventually declares bankruptcy or has their life ruined in some way; the person who receives money from a well-meaning government program has been known to use the money for nefarious purposes; and even the recent stimulus money that was showered down to Americans has essentially been squandered and people are now in more credit card debt than ever.

Yes, it is getting harder for the lower and middle class and there is also growing pressure on the upper middle class, and I believe that this trend correlates with the decline of Christianity in America. Sure, there are plenty of fake Christians and a growing number of people who could care less about Christianity or any other religion, but the actual number of true, God loving and God obeying Christians has steadily declined for the past 50 years. And why is this so incredibly important? Because the only way for a man’s character to change is an encounter with Jesus Christ. God changes the man who is greedy and unloving into a man who is generous and caring. It is only the power of God that can overcome the natural sinful desires of men. This means three things for Christians.

1. See the world for what it is- a messy cesspool of sin and injustice- but never become frustrated or discouraged because THIS IS NOT OUR HOME. God is preparing something infinitely better for those who love Him. And yet, even with the devastating effects of sin in every man and even in creation itself,God has been gracious to allow mankind to still experience many beauties and wonders in this world. So, while Christians still live in this world and are being prepared by God for the next, our hope leads us to live lives of joy.
2. Undoubtedly, we have contributed to this cesspool. Cheating on taxes, lying about the condition of something we sold to another, being greedy with money and more. Let’s confess it and thank God for the forgiveness we have in Christ.
3. We must not fall into the trap of thinking we can make the world better by anything other than the gospel. Too often, Christians dedicate enormous amounts of time and energy to worldly solutions but have no time to execute a strategy for personal evangelism. Yes, we can band aid things through laws and programs, but only the gospel brings real change.

May God give us hearts full of wisdom and love so we can share the gospel with a world that desperately needs to hear it.

By the way, how will your children think about the world they live in? Will their thoughts and behavior be shaped by the world or by Christ? Much of that shaping will happen in school. I encourage you to listen to “Critical Considerations For Christian Parents About Your Child’s Education.” See the links below.

Title: Critical Considerations For Christian Parents About Your Child’s Education, By Michael Lee

Description: As we search the Bible for answers to the question: How shall we raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” we can see that the system for educating children was done primary by the parents in the home. However, the world in which we live now is quite different and the vast majority of parents use an educational system that is outside of the home and is that system is called the public schools, or the government schools.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-critical-considerations/id1678162250

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjnvjc7QuytT2V3lVr53oqa

Title: From Religion To Christ, Written By Peter Jeffery And Read By Michael Lee

Description:  Tired of the many systems of religion that you have observed or been part of in the past? Are you ready to say goodbye to religion? The author Peter Jeffery, agrees! Doing “religion” is empty and will not get you to heaven. There is something more-something much greater. Take a careful listen through this podcast and discover what a real relationship with God actually looks like.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-from-religion-to-christ/id1687134464

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQg_lCngBTcjs_dXT1VYvYWA

Title: Rediscovering The Lost Treasure Of Family Worship. Written By Jerry Marcellino And Read By Michael Lee

Description: Family Worship was once the normal practice that most Christian parents led in their homes. Led by either parent, the children would be taught daily from the word of God, pray and sing songs. It was considered to be a vital part of the Christian life.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-rediscovering-the-lost/id1692401602

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQgNq7asslVBsKyq0FC3arMs

A Call To Prayer By J. C. Ryle.  Although these words were penned more than 100 years ago, the need and application for today’s Christian is greater than ever.

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cherish-ephesians-6-4-presents-a-call-to-prayer-by/id1672880807

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAh2MVKU1VQjaXXgO8P1U-bBFkEMCwdYR

Title: All Things For Good Written By Thomas Watson And Read By Michael Lee

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Last modified: November 30, 2023