"Read the histories of civilizations. You can tell a society is nearing its ultimate collapse when it is consumed with comfort, pleasure, and entertainment, when it no longer feels it needs anything from God, the Creator. For the Greeks, Romans, Incas, Aztecs, and soon perhaps Western civilization, the path has been the same."What if he's right?
From the same page:
"In our society, when a guy who flips a basketball through a ten-foot hoop can make as much money in three hours as a schoolteacher, who is shaping the lives of the next generation, does in a year, something is horribly wrong with our values."Two young men had an interesting discussion before my membership class began on Sunday. They go to different high schools in our area and spoke of international students studying at their schools. These international students make fun of the curriculum here. In comparing it to studies in their home nations, they describe our curriculum as being ridiculously easy!
Hmmm...
Stafford observes that we damage our children by not allowing them to make a meaningful contribution to family life. He explains that in African culture, even the youngest children are expected to gather kindling for the fires. Older children protect the fields from marauding monkeys and other animals that could quickly wipe out the anticipated crop.
He hints that by "protecting" our children from "work", we bring them to young adulthood completely ill-equiped to survive!
There are clear signals that ours is indeed a civilization in rapid decline.
Many place confidence in our government to rescue us from this decline - "This next election will solve all our problems!" Yet, unbridled government spending and a lack of courage and cooperation to make essential cuts leaves us with a nagging, national sense of peril.
Where is the hope? How do we change our course?
Stafford points us in right directions! We were not given wealth, freedom, knowledge, and influence for our own benefit. We are postioned to make a massive difference in our world! We are missing God's intended role for us!
In Sunday School, (as a child) I was taught that you attain JOY by putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last!
