For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV)

One of the most entertaining experiences of my life has been watching the various reactions from people across the nation as we prepare for another presidential inauguration today.  This experience has also been one of the most disturbing.  For several weeks, our television screens and mobile devices have been inundated with images and stories of protests, marches, walkouts and flat out temper tantrums.  How sad that we’ve broadcast our immaturity for all the world to see.

I think one of the most intriguing aspects of this melodrama is how those who preach tolerance display their ferocious intolerance for anyone who disagrees with them.  As they arrived for an event in Washington on Thursday evening, supporters of President-Elect Donald Trump were greeted by America’s advocates for tolerance as they screamed profanities and threatened physical harm and even death.  Among the hundreds of protesters, some sprayed Mace while others chose to throw bottles, injuring several.  One Trump supporter was hit in the back of the head with a flag pole, causing him to black out, simply because he wore a hat that displayed Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again”.

Some have gone on record as saying that Stalin would be a better President than Donald Trump.  That’s a very interesting thought, especially when you consider that many historians believe that nearly 3 million people were executed under his regime.  Many protesters have carried picket signs displaying the message, “Not My President”.  Many Hollywood celebrities have boycotted inauguration activities.  Countless recording artists have refused to perform in Washington as a part of the celebration.  There was talk of overturning the electoral college before their votes were cast.  Many have threatened to leave the country (as if we cared).  What have we become?

I’m convinced that, while there are many issues that need to be resolved in our nation, rebellion and stubbornness are at the core.  In 1 Samuel 15:23, the Lord likens rebellion and stubbornness to witchcraft, iniquity and idolatry.  Over the last decade or so, we’ve seen our society dismantle and form again into a nation that subscribes to a belief system that rewards all and refuses to be held accountable.  Why is there so much anger?  Why is there so much hatred?  Why are people so hell-bent to win their arguments and prove their points?  It’s because we’ve become a people filled with pride and many refuse to submit themselves to the direction we receive in the Word of God.

The people who are making the most noise regarding an election that ended in the early part of November would do well to take an inventory of their lives and realize that the world doesn’t revolve around them.  While most level-headed Americans understand this, unfortunately, some do not.  There are some who believe that the last eight years under President Obama was a true indication of the future of our nation.  They believed it would always be as it was during his administration.  They believed they had essentially “won” America for their side.  When the results of our last election came in, they realized that there are still people in this country that do not agree with them on every issue and that is something they can’t handle.

We are now reaping the fruit of our choice to give every participant a trophy because we couldn’t stand the thought of crushing our baby’s hopes and dreams.  We couldn’t bear the thought of our precious little angels being disappointed in any way.  We just couldn’t stand for our children to not get their way and it’s had an effect.  It’s interesting to me that we tend to magnify the minor inconveniences in the lives of our children and act as if they’ll just die if they don’t get what they want.  We use words like devastated, heartbroken, all to pieces and torn apart to describe those instances in which our offspring doesn’t get their way.  This is exactly why those who are throwing inappropriate and grotesque parties near the home of our Vice-President Elect Mike Pence are acting the way that they’re acting.

And it’s not just in the realm of politics.  If a child is not doing well in school, more parents than you realize choose to blame the teacher, or the pace of the class, or the vendetta of the educator to make life miserable (another exaggerated term) for our children, or the curriculum, or the administration.  They never take a moment to consider that it might be that their child doesn’t put forth an ounce of energy to get their work done and do it with excellence.  While you may not think it’s possible, it’s entirely appropriate to take a moment and ask, “Is my baby lazy?”

A simple traffic stop turns ugly and quickly because some in America believe that it’s their constitutional right to disrespect law enforcement.  Instead of simply complying with an officer and doing what he or she may ask, they develop an arrogance, believing that their rights enable them to push the envelope as they prove that they don’t have to do anything someone tells them to do.  Gone are the days that we respect our law enforcement officers and military because of the position that they hold and the work that they do.  While you may not think it’s possible, it’s entirely appropriate to take a moment and ask, “Is the officer asking me to do anything unreasonable?”

For this same reason, people bounce from church to church because they can’t find a minister of the gospel that they can control.  They want to dictate what a minister of the Word preaches, what he believes and how he shepherds the church.  When they find that they can’t control him or her, they begin to rebel and move on to try and conquer someone else.  They’re called church bosses and they operate in the spirit of Jezebel.  While you may not think it’s possible, it’s entirely appropriate to take a moment and ask, “Am I confused as to how the church works?”

The fact is that we live in the greatest country on the face of the earth.  One of the things that makes our nation so great is that we have a diverse culture.  There are many belief systems.  There are many opinions and everyone is entitled to theirs.  Unfortunately, losses are also a part of our culture.  Attending Field Day as a kindergartner, we learned that one side will win the tug of war and one side will lose.  Middle School participants realize that one will win the spelling bee and all others will fall short.  High School teaches us that one team will be victorious on Friday night and one will not.  You may not ace the job interview and the company might possibly pick someone else.  You will find out that, sometimes, the teacher was right and your baby needs to get their act together.  You’ll discover that, for the most part, law enforcement is on the right track and you’d do well to respect them and simply do what they ask.  You’ll also find that, unless God called you to pastor the church, He doesn’t need you to tell the pastor He did call how to do his job.

Regardless of how right you think you are, the Word of God is still the standard for living and the blueprint for success.  Over and over again, the Bible speaks of humility, long-suffering, understanding, forgiveness, patience and peace.  When you don’t win the championship or the election or get your way in any realm of life, the best thing you can do is exercise maturity and move on, realizing that you can’t win ’em all.  Instead of showing out, maybe we should start growing up and understand that things won’t always be like we want them to be but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong.  It just means we didn’t win.

Before anyone thinks this is a Pro-Trump post, let me say that I did not vote for Donald Trump.  Nor did I vote for Hillary Clinton.  But I did vote.  As a matter of fact, I voted and lost in the last three presidential elections.  But I organized no protest and, even though I strongly disagree with many of President Obama’s policies and beliefs, those who attend our church will testify that I continually shared the significance of praying for our President.  Because I am an American and whoever holds the office of President is my President.  I pray for President Obama and his family.  I pray that the Lord will bless them in every possible way.  I pray for His continued protection over their lives and wish them all the best.  But we now have a new President and I will pray for him and his family as well because this is what we do.  The term “peaceful transfer of power” is not just an oral arrangement of words.  It is based upon how great our nation truly is.  I don’t agree with everything that Donald Trump has said and done (obviously, since I didn’t vote for him).  But I firmly believe that we should “Stand with anybody that stands right; stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.”

If everyone must win all the time, then let’s gather the Seattle Seahawks, the Houston Texans, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Kansas City Chiefs and tell them that, while they lost, they’re really winners.  Let’s inform them that the games between the Falcons and Packers and the Patriots and Steelers have been cancelled.  There will be no Super Bowl this year.  Furthermore, let’s just cancel the upcoming baseball season.  There’s really no point to play if there’s not a goal to be reached and a winner to be determined.

Otherwise, let’s stop with the temper tantrums.  So, you didn’t get your way.  You’ll live.  So, not everyone sees things the way you do.  That doesn’t make you right and them wrong.  It’s time to grow up.  It’s time to stop hiding behind social media and using technology to destroy each other.  It’s time to rebel against rebellion and start exercising some accountability and respect those who are over us whether it’s the President, the school teacher, the police officer or the preacher.  Doing anything else only proves that we’re still the kid who snatches his ball and goes home because he doesn’t like the way game is going.