I was driving a few days ago, and I stumbled on a bill board that had a quote “Time changes, but good advice does not” The bill board was owned by an Insurance Company and I can imagine why they put up that quote on their bill board. In the world of today, having an Insurance is considered good advice.
The quote got me thinking, truly times and seasons do change but good advice is timeless. I wondered if there are pieces of good advice that we have changed or “upgraded” with time. Is the world in some sort of greater mess today because there is good advice that we have ignored and relegated. Some that we think should have changed with time and we left them in the past and did not transfer such advice to the future?
Don’t get me wrong, after the fall of man, the world has always been bad, but you would agree with me that if we compare the world today to 50 years ago, it has gone worse and it seems to go worse with every new generation. Evey genreation seems to come up with its own form of hostility towards the old ways and their “new school” version. Are there some old traditions that we should have done away with? The answer is a resounding Yes!, but are there some that just made common sense that we have also discarded? I’ll leave that answer to you, because ultimately, we are personally responsible for the advice we keep and the ones we discard. We are responsible for the ones we practice and pass down to the generations after us.
For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
GENESIS 18:19 NKJV
I would like to go through some Ignored or “relegated” advice in the world today and the consequent result.
Relegated – The concept of Love, Respect and Leadership in marriage.
- Result – 5 out of 10 marriages end in a divorce and 2 out of the remaining 5 are enduring and not enjoying their marriage.
Ignored – Love your neighbour as yourself.
- Result – The Russia – Ukraine war, acts of terrorism, hatred, murder & kidnapped for self enrichment. Corruption that has crippled nations at the expense of her citizens.
Relegated – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
- Result – Foolishness disguised as wisdom in the word, distorted views of who we are, increase in sin, abominations now accepted as norm.
Relegated – Purity before marriage
- Result – unwanted pregnancies, broken relationships, depression.
Relegated – Put others before you (Phil 2:3-5)
- Result – Selfishness – the concept of it is all about Me and no one else. Loneliness and Isolation.
And the list goes on. I guess the real question for us is that while we have no control of what advice the world discards or modifies, or what new policies are implemented that phase out what we know as truth, what are we willing to personally do within our sphere of influence? Will we stand for, practice, keep and transfer good advice for our sanity, those around us and the generation to come?
Note to Self – Beacuse God made us, there are some features He put in us that whether we were born 2000 years ago, in the 1700’s, 1900’s or today, we will respond positively to the timeless advice He has given us for living. Don’t change or upgrade them with time.
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