Times of Ignorance

Amy Selleck, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

God grows people up. God grows nations up. There are certain things that are expected.

Like a child, some things may be overlooked for a while, but then at a certain point the time comes when it is necessary to “clean the room” so to speak. It cannot be put off.

When a toddler goes to school, the child be sent with and extra pair of clothes while going through potty training. It’s acceptable at the pre-K level.

But if the same child is in 5th grade and being sent to school with an extra set of clothing, or diapers, there is a problem.

There are patterns of growing up.

A new employee, still learning the employee manual, may have a bit of grace from the employer while still learning. If the employee has been there 20 years and is still making the same mistakes, that is a problem.

Growth is expected.

The pattern of expecting growth occurs on earth because mankind is made in God’s image. God is orderly. God is a God of growth and pattern. So schools, businesses, and families expect growth and order. Personal development coaches exist because growth and development and expansion is expected. This is because man is created in God’s image and God grows up his children and chastens them when they don’t listen.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

I personally find it a very profitable exercise … often … to find out if things I am experiencing have a relationship to some kind of course correction.

Course corrections used to be called sins of omission … not doing something that should be done, or sins of commission … doing something that should not be done.

Every coach who works with an athelete keeps helping them tweak their game to either shave away a few tenths or hundredths seconds of time, or be able hit better, run longer, stronger, swim farther, or accomplish more whatever the sport.   Professionals, as excellent as they already are, still have coaches.

God likewise directs us to tweak our daily lives.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

That is not just the increase of the government and peace over the nations. That is also the increase of the government and peace over our daily lives.

Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.