Thow out the Baby With the Bathwater!

It has been too long since my last entry...  I think it is time to start this back up again... So, here we go:

I have been noticing a disturbing trend in society.  What is it, you ask? Is it that there seems to be an increase in violence? Well, that may be true, and that certainly does play in to what is on my mind, but no.  Nor is it any relation to drugs or politics, or comedies that just aren't comedy-ic.  I have observed, that it seems we are too much anymore a throw away society. 

What I mean is, we throw away important things way too quickly, for reasons that are just heartbreaking when you examine them.  Do you know what I am talking about?  Let me start with this example:  Marriage.  Because we are a fast-food society (I want it now, so I am going to get it now), people often rush into marriage long before they should.  They get that goose-bumpy feeling whenever their crush walks by and they think they are in love... ah, sweet love!  So they look past reality and plunge straight into a serious relationship.  And then marriage.  And then the slightest bump comes along, and all of a sudden that goose-bumpy feeling is gone.  The thought floods into our head that obviously, we are no longer in love.  The end result? A quick run down to divorce court.  "My husband just can't stand the fact that I buy creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy." "My wife gets so upset because I watch too many sports, and I am not giving that up." Or whatever the case may be.

The end result is, broken hearts, broken families.  Usually over something stupid. Or over a refusal to forgive.

But it doesn't only involve marriages.  It goes to friendships as well.  We find the people who we believe think like us . We spend time with them.  We invest in them. We pour our hearts into them.  Bonds and memories are built; while we tell ourselves that it will last a lifetime.  But what happens in our society when one friend offends another?  People who were once unseperable, who were the proverbial "two peas in a pod", walk away angry, hurt, and bitter. 

I think the saddest part of this is, that from my personal observations, in almost all cases it was something not worth fighting over.  Either there was a miscommunication- which most offenses are, by the way- or it is once again, the lack of forgiveness over things that are not that serious of an offense when we really examine it.

Once again, there is those words- a lack of forgiveness. I know that too often in my life, I have demonstrated this.  I think if we are honest, we all have.  And what are we left with?  Regret. Hurt feelings. Wishing things could have been different, but refusing to be the first to budge. Refusing to admit that maybe- just maybe- we were wrong, and we just contributed to this new trend of a throw-away society.

Jesus demonstrated perfectly what must be done when we are offended.  You see, we offended Him- and we still do! Yet He was willing to look past that and stand in our place in judgement.  When He was on the cross, he did not curse those who nailed Him there. He didn't even demonstrate anger. Instead, He said "Father, forgive them." 

I think it is time we buck the trend.  There are already too many broken hearts and broken relationships.  If someone or something is important to you, then hold on to it. Hold on to it with all your might.  If someone offends you, don't be so quick to walk away.  Work through it!  So much time has already been invested- why waste that? 

Too often, important things are thrown to the trash heap...  And we will only be left with regret.  We will find, at the end of the day, that if we conform to this throw away mentality- the person we end up hurting the most, is ourselves.