I’m probably going to surprize you with the verse I use to start this article but, when I’m finished I believe you will get the point I’m making.

( 1 Timothy 3:2-5 )

( 2 ) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober,of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ( 3 ) Not given to much wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ( 4 ) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ( 5 ) ( For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God? )

Now, let’s look at one other verse before we get into the meat of the message. ( Mark 10: 15 ) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

As we go through this, we must understand what he means by ( as a little child ). Children are very open to what is being taught to them. It’s simple to have them understand and follow. They are naturally humble and yielding. At least that’s the point that is being made in ( Mark ). I know, even my mom and dad might have disagreed with that verse when attempting to teach me but, nonetheless, that’s what it’s teaching. The problem is, we refuse often to understand what a child is and when they stop being seen as a child. Therefore we treat our children as such; far too long.

The reason I’m writing this is because ( I believe ) we have allowed the mindset of Children to take over our homes, our Churches, our cities and our countries. As an elderly man, I remember to late sixties and the rebellion of the young people of, at least the country I live in. Young people refused to listen to their parents, follow laws and so on. There’s a place called ( Woodstock ) in New York when many young people meet at that time. That place is still talked about today.

So, what brought about that time in our history? And, are we effected by it today? If we consider that ( the mid 1960’s ) was about twenty years after the end of ( World War II ) and that many father’s and mother’s had the mindset that they wanted their children to have it better than they had it, that might be where it all started. As for me, I think my dad missed that memo! My dad, being born in ( 1921 ) basically raised my sisters and I about the same way he was raised. When my dad spoke, even my mom paid attention. He was never basically a mean or ill tempered man but. he also didn’t play. He said what he meant and, meant what he said.

If we go back to ( 1 Timothy 3 ) now and try and draw a parallel with what we are seeing today. In that scripture we see that before a man can be even considered a leader; there are parts of his life that has to be a proven fact. First of all he has to be married, to a woman, a wife. She must be under subjection to him. It says ( he rules his own house well ), his children under subjection with all gravity. I take that to mean, all things flowing toward his leadership.

As we watch this unfold, this is the picture. When a child is seen as a child then; there are certain attribute of childhood that we should be able to relate to as adults in our willingness to lean toword the leadership of God the Father. However, children quickly grow up physically and, we, as parents might handicap their spiritual intellectual and emotional groweth by our ignorance in understanding just how quickly the mature physically.

Without getting too involved here. let’s notice a verse. ( 1 Corinthians 7:36 ) But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.

In this verse notice: ( the flower of her age ). What age are we speaking of? When a girl becomes a young woman, that being around the age of twelve to fourteen then, God says she’s old enough to marry. As we see in that verse, the call is not left up to the parent at that time. The young man, knows in his mind when he begins to do things to ( his virgin ) that might be ( uncomely ).

Jesus Christ told his earthly parents when he was about ( twelve years old ) ( I must be about my father’s business ). ( Luke 2:49 ) He is saying, at my age I can begin to make wise judgments on my own. I, as a parent myself undrstand that this does not happen on its on. We must begin to teach; discipline, wisdom, spiritual knowledge, self control and being submissive at a very young age.

He’s not saying here that a young woman or man that is wise is going to get married at that age is he? He is simply stating that they are prepared at that age to do so if that is their choice. We have given our children worldly answers to spiritual problems. By doing this we have stopped their maturity on every level and, we see that all across our world today.

Because of our disobedience to God the Father, we have raised ( fools ) in more ways than one. I know that one term will not be seen as popular but, ( Psalms 14:1 ) says ( The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. )

Whether we choose to acknowledge the facts or not. Whether we are the fools and, our children just continued that same mindset is left up for debate but, today a child’s mindset is having the leadership roles in most of the world we live in. Just as when parents seek to discipline their children and there’s a lot of screaming and fighting that goes on because a child cannot have it’s way; we see that same problem when men and women with wisdom stand and seek to do what’s right in our governments today.

Those ( adult children ) sometimes, well into their years scream and pitch a fit bacause; they will not be told what to do.They will not submit to what’s right, or any discipline.

At some point over the last seventy or so years ( we choose ) as a people to dismiss God and, every aspect that relates to his wisdom in teaching and, raising our children. Not only did we do that in our countries but, in our home and in our Churches.

We speak of God, we talk about Jesus Christ but only in a general sense, not to the point of teaching his will to anyone, especially our children being submissive to him. We don’t even make our children submissive to us!

I wrote a letter to my granddaughters a while back. They are just reaching the age where they are leaving home, going to college, getting married and so on. This is somewhat my comments to them using this verse of scripture, ( Mark 11:7 ) And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

I shared with them my love for westerns, such as ( Gunsmoke ). On those movies and shows we see men attempting to break wild horses. Do you know why that is? Well, they weren’t taught when they wee colts to be submissive. The colt that was used by Jesus had been tied, you can read that whole account in a couple of the gospels. He was disciplined from his birth and, now he’s prepared to carry Jesus. When you allow a colt to just be as he chooses then it’s much harder to bring him into submission once he is old.

As children, we all shun discipline and don’t readily desire to art of being submissive. However, when children are left to temselves they bring shame and reproach to their parents, In the case that I’m speaking of: ( even to nations ). ( Proverbs 29:15 ) ( The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. )

Can a problem such as this be fixed? Well, yes it can but, we must have a spiritual reset and, that might take years and much pain. One of my favorite sayings is this ( Once you jump off a of a moving train; you can never get back on at the same place you jump off. )

Consider: a wayward child will spend all his father has and, put his father in debt if his father is willing to go that route. Look at our nations? The fathers and mothers cannot pay the debt we have built up. When we are gone, our children and grand children will!

Marshall Clayton

2 Timothy 1:7