By Rev. Johnny Lee Clary
Most parents if they are any kind of good parent at all will have rules and boundaries for their child. Sometimes a child gets upset that there are rules to follow, not realizing that the parents have set rules and boundaries for their own good. For instance, a good parent will check out what type of friends their child is hanging around and make a determination as to whether their child should continue to associate with that friend. There was a survey done not long ago where parents were asked 5 questions like,
• Name the model, actress, singer, who has a grandfather that owns one of the world’s largest hotel chains.
• Name the singer that shaved her head bald and was married to Kevin Federline.
• Name the former President of the United States who had an affair with Monica Lewinsky and lied to the public about it.
• Name the most famous PGA golfer in the world who is also part African American.
• Name the actor that starred in ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ ‘Urban Cowboy,’ and ‘Pulp Fiction.
Almost every parent scored 100% in naming Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, and John Travolta. Then the survey had one more command: “Now name your child’s 5 best friends.” It was reported that 97% of the parents surveyed could not name all of their child’s 5 best friends and most could only name one. That is sad.
Your friends are your biggest influence in life when you are a teenager. The type of crowd you run with and the type of people you hang around are what you are known by. For instance, if you hang with the in-crowd of popular teens who “rule the school” then you are known as one of them, and are considered ‘cool.’ If you hang around troublemakers and hoodlums then you are considered as such. If you hang around nerds and geeks, you are considered one of them. Also if you are a teen girl and you hang around sexually promiscuous girls then the guys automatically think you put out even if you don’t. Yeah I know some people will say “Who cares? That’s judging!” Maybe it is judging but if you don’t care about your reputation then you will make one sorry excuse for a parent if you ever have kids. It is people who do care what others think that go places in their careers, ministries, friendships and personal gains. You see, it is a fact of life that you are known by the company you keep. If you run with dogs you get fleas and if you run with pigs you get slop.
The Bible says “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 I have seen good people during my life that ended up making bad choices in the friends that they chose and those friends ended up taking the people down with them. I have seen innocent people ending up in trouble with the law or denied jobs because of who they chose to hang around.
If your parents love you and are decent parents then they will take steps to make sure your character is not corrupted. They will not only set rules about what friends you are allowed to hang around, but they will also set curfews, assign chores, make sure you are doing good in school and above all else, make sure you go to church. When parents go so far as to take these steps to insure the best for their child then they are the type of parents who know best.
God is the same way toward us. Father knows best! Sometimes when we are obeying God it can feel more like a hindrance than a help. Solomon was blessed of God as the world’s richest man and he was also blessed with wisdom, but he screwed up royally! He disobeyed God after God was so good to him. Solomon was sort of the Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) or Warren Beatty of his day, as he made love to women from all over the world. Nationality and religion did not matter to him. It was obvious with over 700 wives and 300 concubines. I still don’t know how he found time to make love to that many women, especially when they hadn’t even invented Viagra yet! God told the children of Israel not to intermarry with women from foreign nations, not because they were a different race but because they worshiped other gods and they would tempt them to follow their false gods. Throughout history women have been known to have power over men and can generally make a man do things he would not normally do. Look at the example’s of Eve and how she led Adam astray, and how Delilah also led Samson to his doom. God will not tolerate someone worshiping false gods. That is number one of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:3, yet in spite of all the great wisdom Solomon had he still disobeyed God and suffered the consequences for his actions.
When God sets rules for us to obey He is not trying to keep us from enjoying our lives, but God’s rules are there to keep us safe from harm. The next time you feel like being disobedient to God remember that the consequences of what you do may not be what you expect or desire. As a matter of fact you could end up bringing all sorts of heat down on your head as well as those around you. Galatians 6:7 says “Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest.” You don’t plant corn and harvest strawberries! You won’t plant disobedience and harvest blessings either. God loved Solomon and blessed him tremendously until he screwed up and then the boom was lowered on him! Do you think you are any different than Solomon? Think you will get off lightly and the consequences of your actions do not apply to you because of “grace?” Think again! Acts 10:34 God does not show favoritism! Yes God shows grace and mercy but He also shows justice! God is a God of balance! The Creator is fair and loving but He ain’t blind! He expects us to follow His rules and regulations, and contrary to what those who preach that God is “all grace” say, God does not wink at sin! There is a price to pay for failure to obey!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20, “Don't ever think that I came to set aside Moses' Teachings or the Prophets. I didn't come to set them aside but to make them come true. I can guarantee this truth: Until the earth and the heavens disappear, neither a period nor a comma will disappear from Moses' Teachings before everything has come true. So whoever sets aside any command that seems unimportant and teaches others to do the same will be unimportant in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches what the commands say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I can guarantee that unless you live a life that has God's approval and do it more faithfully than the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The Bible says in Luke 6:38 “Give, and you will receive. A large quantity, pressed together, shaken down, and running over will be put into your pocket. The standards you use for others will be applied to you." If you give obedience to God then you will receive blessings and rewards. If you give disobedience then you bring down curses upon your own head and make trouble for yourself. (Deuteronomy 28) It is up to you: Obey or disobey. That is your choice to make. Hope you make the right one!
© Johnny Lee Clary International Ministries
Rev. Johnny Lee Clary is an ordained elder minister in the Church Of God In Christ, the largest African American denomination in the USA. He is one of the leading advocates for racial unity in the United States and has appeared on countless television and radio shows such as The Billy Graham show, Fox News, Morris Cerullo, Oprah, Morton Downey Jr., Rolanda Watts, Geraldo, Sally Jesse Raphael, Jerry Springer, Ricki Lake, Queen Latifah, Montel Williams, Phil Donahue, A&E Investigative Reports, ABC World News Tonight, Bertrice Berry, The Today Show, A Current Affair, The 700 Club, and Kenneth Copeland's TV show. He has also been a regular guest on TBN's Praise The Lord show and has been featured in America's top newspapers and magazines, including a seven page feature story in Charisma magazine in Feb. 2010, April 1999, Moody Magazine, Guidepost Magazine (Sept. 1998), Kenneth Copeland's Believer's Voice of Victory magazine, as well as appearances on TV programs in Australia, England, Holland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales. He holds the record for the largest crowd ever at Hillsong Brisbane, Australia.
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