Am I Become Your Enemy

 

“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16)

Paul is writing to the church of Galatia here and he is asking them a very pointed but applicable question. He asks them if he has become their enemy because he tells them the truth. He sights earlier in the chapter that there used to be a deep love and affection between himself and the church of Galatia but this relationship has apparently been strained and Paul perceives that it is because he has told them a truth that they did not want to hear.

I believe this question could be echoed to young people all over this world. It seems that the youth love to have a relationship with those in authority in their world until the authority tells them something that they do not wish to hear. Suddenly that authority who was your buddy now suddenly becomes your enemy because of what they have said.

This should not be the case with teenagers who seek to please the Lord. We must understand that the authorities that God has put over us are there for our benefit. “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:” (Romans 13:3) If you have good authorities in your life who fear the Lord and want you to succeed in life then you need to understand that they are not there to terrorize you for the good that you do, but rather to guard you against the evil.

I believe that Satan has put a special target on our teenagers. He knows that if can get his claws of wickedness into a teenager while they are young he might be able to hold them hostage, their whole life, in his vicious cycle of emptiness. He targets teenagers through avenues on the internet like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. He will try to get in through television shows that are supposedly targeting teenagers while being suggestive of sinful actions. The Devil will work his way into your world through world music with its constant theme of rebellion. The Devil wants to work hard to drive a wedge between you and the authorities in your life that would try to protect you from the Devil’s influences.  

 
Considering this, you must make a decision. Will you listen to the godly authorities in your life that try to stand between you and the Devil’s hurt and pain? Will you listen to their counsel of wisdom, or will you make them your enemy because they tell you the truth?