I’m studying Romans this year. Have you read that New Testament book?
The first couple of chapters are pretty bleak describing the depraved mind and the sinful state of man. Paul depicts sinful practices of his contemporaries. Not only are people sinning, however, they’re also approving sinful practices.
One particular sentence in the study notes for chapter one struck me. “Everything is reversed.” What once was thought to be evil is now thought to be good. What once was thought to be truth is now thought to be wrong.
Do these statements sound familiar?
We are experiencing similar times now in that some practices considered taboo years ago are now accepted, even embraced in some circles.
As I read the sentence in the notes, I thought of my own reversed thinking. Last February, our oldest daughter moved to New York City. During the month before she moved, she emailed prospective roommates for sub-leases. The first few didn’t work out, but one young woman offered to help her find a church after she got settled.
Interesting, I thought.
My daughter honed in on another possible roommate. In answer to a question about her boyfriend, the NYC contact replied, “He never stays over. We have a Christian relationship.”
When my daughter relayed this information, my mouth dropped. The prospective roommate was a thirty-something New Yorker. I was shocked specifically at the phrase “Christian relationship.” So shocked, in fact, I asked with a scrunched up face, “Where are you finding these people?”
These people who want to help her find a church home.
These people who participate in Christian dating relationships.
These people.
These people happen to be my people, but I responded as if they were weirdo beings from another galaxy.
Shame on me.
Shame on me for being shocked.
Shame on me for accepting and maybe even expecting that adults in a serious relationship would most likely be involved in a sexual one.
Shame on me for falling under the spell of it’s-what-people-do-now.
Shame on me for my reversed thinking.
What about you? Have you experienced any reversed thinking lately?
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