Violence

Good Morning,

Proverbs 3:31-32 (NIV)
Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.

Verse 31, "Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways," scares me a great deal. One might ask why to that, of course, as it seems evident that if we don't envy violence or choose to be violent, then why should we be concerned? My answer to that can be seen by the proliferation of some of the new aged types of bloody and extreme sports that I see occasionally when I "surf" through channels on my television. I'm not scared for myself as these "sports" don't interest me in even the smallest way. What DOES scare me is the fact that there are so many young people...men and women, boys and girls...who see these "Mixed Martial Arts" and "Ultimate Fighting" things as perfectly normal and enjoyable to watch. What scares me is the fact that there are young people doing the things they see on the television and in the arenas all over the country in their back yards! I mean, I've read reports of kids, young people, being seriously hurt and even maimed because they are emulating violent "heroes" that they've seen. They are doing exactly what we are told NOT to do in today's Scriptures.

What can you or I do about it? I really don't know. Except that we ought to be extremely careful about what our young people are watching and what kinds of behaviors they are emulating. We need to teach our children, our young men and women, what the Bible says about things that the world sees and teaches as "normal" types of behavior. We need to be sure that our kids understand that it is simply wrong to hurt other people...physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

After I read verse 31 and had gone on to verse 32, "for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence," I didn't immediately see the correlation between the two verses. Then it struck me. Those who feel that a violent man is one who should be held up and then chooses a violent way to live, well, that man...person...is a perverse one. At least in the eyes of God, as I read it. THIS is what we need to be sure our young people understand. Violence, especially as we've seen it evolve over the recent past years, is perverse. It's as simple as that. God says so.

To bring this back around, I now understand more fully why I have felt so disgusted when I've seen the few moments of this violent fighting I've been exposed to. Simply put, it's because I have known in my heart what these verses teach us today. Violence is perverse. Violence, extreme violence as is portrayed way too much for all to see, is especially perverse and should be avoided at all costs.

Let's not turn our heads and shrug our shoulders at this segment of "entertainment" and treat it as something that's harmless and, God forbid, even enjoyable to watch. Let us remember these verses we read today.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David