Too Much Food and Time

Meditation 9/8/2013

Have you heard the Bible story about two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah? It is found in Genesis 13. It says, “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord.” Eventually like an erupting volcano, hot brimstone fell from the sky burying both cities.

Did you ever wonder what was happening in these cities before they became so wicked? In another place, the Bible tells us: “…this was the iniquity of … Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness ...neither did she strengthen the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” Ezek. 16:49 & 50 A wise proverb of King Solomon is, “Pride comes before a fall and a haughty spirit before destruction.” Pride, plenty of food and idle time was what caused the inhabitants of Sodom to fall into wickedness. If they had changed some things in their lives, perhaps they might have avoided the catastrophe.

Are we allowing our children to follow a path toward wickedness when we keep them full of food and give them time to be idol? An old wise saying is, “An idol mind is the devils workshop.” Shouldn’t all children have responsibilities equal to their ability? Even small children can be responsible for keeping themselves and their room clean, doing school homework and helping with family chores. Other responsibilities should be added as they grow. By the time, they are young adults they should be working and paying for some of their clothes, their car, insurance, gas and repairs unless they are devoted to studying. When parents supply their needs, they have more time to experiment with sin. Parents are in essence giving their children “fullness of bread and abundance of idleness” the very things that caused Sodom to decline. A busy child will be tired at night. He will sleep instead of staying awake doing things that are not constructive.

Another sin of Sodom was that they did not “strengthen the poor and needy.” While we are living a standard better than that of kings in former ages, the poor barely exist in there miserable conditions. What are we doing to strengthen the poor? Do we even share our abundance with them? Much of our abundance is thrown in the trash, half an apple, vegetables we don’t like, leftover food, that could be saved for another meal, etc.? What kind of example are we showing the next generation?

Are we using money for unnecessary comforts for our children and those children becoming selfish or experimenting with destructive things of the world, too much entertainment, popularity, drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography etc.? Sometimes the sacrifices parents make for children are propelling then toward tragedy. Perhaps they would benefit more by seeing their parents helping others and the gospel.

Let us not allow our children to grow up in the sins of Sodom for they may take up the practices of those cities as well.  We can take our sons and daughters into the icy waters of self-denial, and give of our money to help others and by so doing save our sons and daughters. On the other hand, we can huddle in our comforts with them and await the outcome. God help us to save ourselves, and our families from “pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness and ignoring the poor.”