Why is it?

Richard Hollerman

I realize that people may think that I should have all of the answers by my age. They may wonder, “We thought that by now, Richard would have the answers to the dilemmas around him and the problems in the world!”

Sadly, this is not the case. I just “don’t understand” when it comes to major issues of life—regardless of my age. Since I had a birthday three days ago, I suppose that this is fresh on people’s mind.

I could possibly mention a hundred different issues here but let me focus on just a few: Why is it—that regardless of who I see or hear, people just don’t “get it” and have entirely different and wrong answers?

For instance, why are people ultra-concerned (and they definitely should be concerned) about the deaths that we see in the “hot spot” of the news—regarding the war and atrocities in the Ukraine? Most of us know that these people (they are either nothing religiously, or part of a terribly false religion called the “Ukrainian Orthodox Church”) are lost and without hope? Why be concerned with their death that will end everything, including a life that would go on for 60, 70, or 80 years, and not be concerned about whether they have eternal life that will go on endlessly—either in unimaginable bliss or in utter torment—for eternity? We just don’t understand!

Let’s comment now on diet. Why would people be so concerned about what they eat when they know the results of this? From the TV, from the radio, from word-of-mouth, from the newspaper, from the magazines, we know that eating “junk foods” including high-fat food, rich meats, white flour, white sugar, white rice, and so much more will probably bring on a premature death! Yet we go on and on, unmindful about what we have read and heard. We know that this has a terrible and deleterious effect, yet we consume that which we know will kill us. We “dig our graves with our spoon”! Why?

Now consider for a few moments what we drive. We know that millions in this world, can’t afford basic transportation but must rely on walking (if they can walk at all) or beasts of burden. But they are consumed about what they have seen on the TV or on the computer, about buying an expensive and luxurious new automobile. If they obtain such a car, perhaps spending $40,000 or $60,000 or even $80,000 and then drive this recklessly and have a major wreck, why would they do this? Why would they spend this? Why would they allow their lives to be controlled by such a dangerous vehicle?

Another issue that we might mention would be the use of time. As you know, most people spend hours and hours each week viewing the TV (the television). Remember that for every hour spent watching worldly programs, there are that many fewer hours to spend searching the Scriptures!  We may wonder why this is. You and I know that our time is limited and we must use it for the Lord and His cause. Yet, in view of this, people complain that they don’t have the time for this and that, especially for such time-use items as reading scripture, studying God’s Word, having fellowship with the saints, and doing good works/deeds for the saints and for outsiders. Again, we must ask, Why is this?

A final point that we might want to make is the fact that many (some 90% as we understand it) do attend secular schools and imbibe on worldly and secular matters—for 12 years or even 14 years. When our children and young people spend six or seven hours a day, sitting at the feet of worldly teachers, is it any wonder that they begin to think and talk like the world? Further, if our sons and daughters go to a secular college or university, they will learn all kinds of evil, worldly, false information—such as evolution, religious pluralism, non-religious information, humanism, and secularism! With all of this exposure to the ways of the world, is it any wonder that they think like the world, talk like the world, and act like the world? This is so sad and entirely understandable. We must say that parents who do this sort of thing are not truly saved. How could they be and treat their children like this? Why is this?

As you can see, we could go on and on with our exposure to the things of the world. We have heard people say that they wonder why they, their friends, and their family are so worldly, so secular, so evil in their thinking and acting! With this very brief discussion, can you now see why this might be so? It is no surprise that this would be the case. It is the logical outcome of our own way of thinking and our way of life. In effect, we have done it ourselves and we are guilty!

We do know that it will be difficult, costly, and spiritually draining to do the will of God! But let us not forget the very plain words of God: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). We also read: “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (v. 17). What about you? Is this the way our legacy would be? We are here for only a few years, thus how can we order our lives to reflect the will of God? What can we do? What should we do?