LIVING IN A BUBBLE? EMPTY, LONELY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Where does EMPTINESS and LONELINESS grow? Why do we seem to live in a wonderful world and we face the giants of fear, worry, loneliness and emptiness in a land of plenty? Why accept the FIFTH WHEEL FEELING?
WE FACE A REAL DILEMMA OF EMPTY LIVING… THE PROBLEM OF LIVING IN A BUBBLE? AN EMPTY BUBBLE…
After a recent election there was a huge surprise by the media. The candidates that the media and polls supported by a landslide lost. I heard on reporter say: In my circle of friends I never knew one person that would vote for the winning opponent. Seems liberal elites hang with liberal elites and they refuse to listen to anyone else of a different opinion. Thus their every report was THROUGH ROSE COLORED GLASSES… Life is distorted when supporters say: I DON’T KNOW ANYBODY VOTING FOR THE OTHER CANDIDATE. This leads to a bias media with distorted reporting.
A REAL LESSON ABOUT LIFE: LONELINESS AND EMPTINESS ARE POOR TEAM MEMBERS.
I was teaching school and a new teacher joined the staff. She was a good teacher but she isolated herself from the other staff. At break time, she stayed in her room by herself. The other teachers would visit in the hall way. At lunch time, she would grab her lunch and go to her room and ate her lunch by herself. She was a natural complainer and if she ever spoke to anyone she was critical and negative.
One day several months into her assignment she went STOMPING INTO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE and yelled: the staff here are not friendly to me. She went on to state people were the same way at the last school where she taught and she was sick of this school and this area.
The Principal jumped up from his desk and almost put his finger up her nose. He was screaming to her: YOU HAVE NO INTERACTION WITH THE OTHER STAFF. They talk and visit. They eat lunch together. They have become good friends. You refuse to BE FRIENDLY to the others. He said: IF YOU WANT FRIENDS YOU MUST BE FRIENDLY YOURSELF. He never realized he was using a lesson Solomon tried to teach people.
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
LONELINESS AND EMPTINESS BECOME A SELF DOOMING TRAP --- YOU MUST BREAK THE CYCLE BY LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE OF BEING EXCLUSIVE AND START BEING INCLUSIVE.
BLIND SPOTS? WHY AM I EMPTY? MAYBE YOU NEED TO FILL UP YOUR GAS TANK? LIVING IN A BUBBLE OR HIDING UNDER A ROCK IS A CHOICE YOU MAKE? QUIT ACTING LIKE A FIFTH WHEEL…
What if rich people only know rich people? What if black people only know black people? White people white? Asian or Hispanic? Drinkers vs non-drinkers… WE SEE BIRDS OF A FEATHER TEND TO STICK TOGETHER. This makes a sad, sad world… A LONELY, EMPTY WORLD OF FIFTH WHEELS.
EMPTINESS and BUBBLES COMES BY CREATING BLIND SPOTS… CHRISTIANITY SHOULD BE A MELTING POTS THAT ARE INCLUSIVE NOT EXCLUSIVE…
Romans 12:9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
THERE IS A DANGER TO EXCLUSIVE LIVING IN ANY GROUP… THE GREAT DANGER IN GROUPS IS THAT WE ALLOW THE EMPTY SPIRIT TO THRIVE. THIS HAS A TERM… CLIQUE.
*** CLIQUE: a small group of people who spend their time together and who are not friendly to other people. A narrow exclusive circle held together by common interest, views, purpose.
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Do we understand what DISSIMULATION MEANS ARE DO WE JUST SKIP OVER THAT BIG WORD…
** Dissimulate: to disconnect, come apart in smaller pieces, to break up into small parts, fake, false, pretend, put on, scatter.
PETER WAS LIVING IN A BUBBLE. SEE ELEVATED OPINIONS BREED EMPTINESS AND LONELINESS AND BLOWS BUBBLES.
Bubble: a tiny, round ball of air or gas inside a liquid, a very light ball of air in a thin layer of soap…
Often bubbles end in a sudden collapse.
Matthew 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Matthew 6:35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Living in an elevated bubble: a person that isolates themselves from ordinary activities of life. Maybe a person who thinks they are superior to everyone else and they ignore people they consider different than they are. We often tend to surround ourselves with people of similar opinions and we refuse to listen to others’ opinions
CAN WE ALL SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE? THIS LESSON IS ABOUT CHURCH BUT IT IS ABOUT FAMILY, WORK AND EVERYDAY LIFE… IT IS EASY TO WALK DAILY IN EMPTINESS AND LONELINESS AS A FIFTH WHEEL.
Ever seen a clique of people that share the same hobbies? Sport fans, fishing, hunting, musicians, readers, super spiritual, singles, women, --- WE MUST AVOID EXCLUSIVENESS. Young people see old people as nuisance? Old people forget being young?
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
LET US UNDERSTAND WE CAN SPEAK DIVISION AND NOT MEAN TO DO IT… CAN WE ALL SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE? REMEMBER THE TOWER OF BABEL… EVIL AND CORRUPTION WAS THE NORM. ALL THE PEOPLE WERE TOGETHER AND FOCUSED ON FAME AND DOING EVIL… THE MOTIVE WAS DISTORTED… SO GOD FOUND THE BEST WAY TO HINDER THE EVIL WAS TO SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THE BEGINNING OF CLIQUES?
Genesis 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
OUR GOAL TODAY IS TO COME TOGETHER IN LOVE AND UNITY… GOD WANYS US TO SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE OF THE SAME MENTAL FOCUS… JESUS.
1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
JAMES HAS A REAL WARNING FOR US…
James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
AGAIN, DAILY LIVING IN GROUPS OF SMALL EXCLUSIVE CLIQUES WILL BREED EMPTINESS AND LONELINESS… THE FIFTH WHEEL MENTALITY.
Mark 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
President Abraham Lincoln knew the states had to be UNITED, the United States… the issue was more than freedom and slavery… WE MUST SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE…
The leadership of any group must learned the TEAM MUST PULL TOGETHER… we must discourage CLIQUES in every area of daily living. Cliques establish the POTENTIAL ROOT SYSTEM FOR EMPTINESS and LONELINESS. We must open are hearts and our arms with all people.
WE CAN BECOMED TRAPPED FEELING LIKE THE FITH WHEEL IN THE TRUNK … THIS IS A PERSONAL PROBLLEM. THE FIFTH WHEEL FEELLING IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT. Refuse to be on the outside on a cold day looking in the warm window.
ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE GUARD YOUR HEART FOR EVRYTHING FLOWS FROM YOUR HEART.
GUARD YOU HEART AND MIND TO BE AWARE OF EXCLUSIVENESS AND INCLUSIVED AND BREAK THE SPIRIT OF SEPERATION, ISOLATION REACH OUT TO OTHERS.
Proverbs 4:23-Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
YOUR THOUGHT PATTERNS CONTROL YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS.
SOW THE THOUGHT --- REAP THE ACTION…
BURST THE BUBBLE OF THE HABIT OF BEING NEGATIVE.
BURST THE BUBBLE OF A CRITICAL SPIRIT OF MURMURING, FAULT FINDING AND COMPLAINING.
1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
I have a friend that has very few friends. He is so negative. He is always telling people off. All he has is new friends or computer friends. He has no old friends. His negativity has become a terrible trap. HE IS HABITUALLY NEGATIVE…
BURST THE BUBBLE OF SELF IMPORTANCE… ALWAYS MAKE SURE EACH PERSON FEELS IMPORTANT AND NEEDED.
BURST THE BUBBLE OF EXCLUSIVENESS BY INVITING PEOPLE TO HELP YOU AND BE ON YOUR TEAM.
BURST THE BUBBLE OF PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE DOWN AND YOUR FEELING OF IMPORTANCE… VALUE PEOPLE. BE ENCOURAGING AND UPLIFTING.
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
GET OUT OF YOUR BUBBLE OF COMFORT, REACH OUT, REACH DOWN AND REACH UP…
BURST THE BUBBLE OF GAMES: DON’T PLAY TEACHER’S PET, BEST FRIENDS, OR FAVORITISM. THIS IS SETTING UP A BUBBLE EXPLOSION AND WILL LIMIT YOUR GROWTH.
While teaching the 7th grade the worse fight we ever had was between several girls over who the best friend was?
DO WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR DOORS CLOSED? OR OPENED? BE QUICK TO SEE THOSE OUTSIDE AND INVITE THEM TO COME IN…
CONCLUSION: LIVING IN A BUBBLE MEANS YOU REFUSE TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Fear, worry anxiety keep you trapped BEHIND MENTAL BARS…. Metal bars are not killing us, MENTAL BARS ARE… DO WE LIVE UNDER A ROCK? Remember the story of the baby bear that his mom was killed in a forest fire. They built a pen for him, 12 feet by 12 feet. The baby bear paced back and forth, 12 by 12. The owners sold him and the new owners took him and his cage on the road and sold tickets to watch the bear pace 12 by 12. They were mean to him. But he spent his life walking 12 feet this way, 12 feet that way. He became a huge bear, crowds watched him go 12 by 12. As he aged and was old a person bought him and built a place in a little zoo, it was a wonderful habitat, but the bear just paced 12 steps turned and walked 12 steps back. The bear was released in the wild with other bears. The owners watched him several months, he would not change. It appeared the other bears accepted him, but he walked 12 by 12. Finally in frustration the owners put the old bear down. His life behind METAL BARS had created MENTAL BARS the old bear could not break.
WILL WE BREAK THE CLIQUES THAT HINDER REAL GROWTH in our daily walk. Will we stay the same old same old and expect something different?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This message is timely and must be preacher to make us aware of the dangers before us. Pass it on? Please?
