In 1 Kings 12 of the Holy Bible we learn a valuable lesson between two different generations because they did not know how to deal with it in love. This lack of understanding caused a division in the body that eventually separated the people. When King Rehoboam asked for advice from the older generation that once  advised his father he rejected their wisdom because it was not what he wanted to hear and he wanted to prove himself. So, he called in some youth that he had grown up with to seek their advice and as expected their youth gave no mercy to the people because they wanted to show their own strength.

Why did the youth lash out towards the people? Why did they not want to give mercy instead of making matters worse ? Why were they carrying so much anger instead of learning from the past to help correct something in the future? Doesn’t the Lord show us here how the youth must have been carrying some anger towards those that were once in control? Do you think possibly that the youth might have felt suppressed as they matured because the elders were so stuck in their ways?  Can you see the importance of adding value to someone else’s life by involving our youth as we all continue to mature?

When a child receives freedom it is very important for them to understand the Word of God and to know how to mature in love rather than allowing their emotions to misguide their actions. Children that live under rules without love are more subject to break them because they do not understand them and when the older generation neglects how to develop the younger generation then we are only setting ourselves up for a possible division in the family of God.

The Word of God teaches us to listen and to always be alert for the wisdom that God provides because there is something to be gained in every age of life.  It is easy to become blinded when we get so wrapped up in building our own mission that we often forget how to add value to someone else’s.  When this takes place usually the very ones that miss out are the ones that are right at our feet because we become so busy with the world that we forget how to take care of our homes. God gives us children to carry on what He has given and God raises up men and women to carry on the direction that we are to serve.

When we don’t include those that God has placed around us whether in our homes, in our careers, in our churches or even in our nation then we are only setting ourselves up for a future division to come. This lesson is a very important message on how to develop the youth without causing rebellion and it teaches us the importance adding value to someone else’s life  so they will in turn do the same in the future. We go from one extreme to the other in this message between the youth and the older generation because the youth failed to understand the principles in the foundation while the elders failed to properly disciple their future generations. May God give us the wisdom to listen and learn from one another in order to lift the burdens that are on the people and to display that all things are possible through Christ as we come together in one mind and one spirit…amen… Please take a moment to listen to this song titled The Stand by Hillsong and ask the Lord in prayer what you can do today to help someone else. How we serve shows in whom we serve…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans8:28

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

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