Kids Today Are Better At Being Little Devils Than We Were!
Ed, my neighbor next door, has no time for talk of love and obedience from children. My neighbor says his parents expected him to try and get away as much stuff as possible. He was proud of being a little devil even though he regretted his punishments on some occasions. Ed said he never expected his kids to be little angels, and they never disappointed him. “Knowing right from wrong makes no difference to kids or adults, the fun of life is getting away with what you are not suppose to do,†Ed told me yesterday.
My neighbor showed me a story about 11-year –old Alexis Waller of central Arkansas. He was so impressed with her story because Ed sees her as being a better little devil than he could ever claim to be. Alexis decided a few weeks ago that she wanted to see a boy in Florida that she had been in touch with for two years. The girl stole $10,000.00, from her grandmother’ sock drawer, and left home with the money in the middle of the night. After hitching a ride with a stranger to a gas station, she called a taxi. She told the driver she wanted to go to Florida and paid him $1,000.00 cash to start driving her there.
Thankfully, the girl’s parents awoke in the night found her missing, and called the police. The police, through her cell phone information, were able to call the taxi that had traveled to Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents both angry and relieved drove to Atlanta to reclaim their daughter. Ed thought the girl was as an impressive little devil. I cannot share his opinion.
What others do wrong will impress some other folks with their boldness and originality! My neighbor and I have a different sense of what is right and wrong; what is a sin and what is being strong-willed. I’m not impressed with the girl’s adventure but saddened that she would steal money from her grandmother. I know how Ed loves money, and he would not be laughing if a grandchild of his stole money from him, even $10.00.  Many people do have pride in the wrong or sin they have done or are doing. Could it be a large number of people are proud of getting drunk or being good at cheating and lying, gossiping, being self-righteous? How many will do whatever they can get away with doing? Some will do whatever they want no matter who gets hurt by their actions. Most do not care about what or who is doing wrong unless their lives are not touched by it.
Anyone considering the Ten Commandments of God knows that they can quickly show us how we fail to keep them perfectly in thought, word and deed. They prove we are not perfect adults or children. They point us to Jesus Christ the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The gospel is the good news that God calls us from sin or wrong to His love and forgiveness and will for us. His will is that whatever we wish others would do to us we would also do to them.
