1 Peter 4:3
“For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.”
Peter brings up a good point. Most of us lived an indulgent life long enough to prove to ourselves that it’s empty.
Peter provides a list of behaviors: “a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.” It sounds like college life. Our culture has inbred in our youth that going away to college is a necessary stage. There also are expectations that young people will experiment on forbidden areas. Adults seem to look back with pride at these times. That encourages their kids to act out.
This culturally expected (or encouraged) stage of rebellion hurts many people. Some never recover. They may develop addictions or engage in life styles that they would have never wanted. The end of this road is heart ache.
Some pass through this stage just fine. Some learn the lesson of Peter, “it’s an empty path.” However, there isn’t a fondness for the godly values. I believe much of this is cultural. While they have learned that the indulgent life style isn’t healthy, they don’t draw the natural conclusions that God was right all along. Peer pressure, the belittling of faith from the science community, the belittling of purity from pop culture keeps them from thinking it through.
Young people begin to wake up to godly values when they have their own children. The little eyes are watching them. The parents want their kids to have the right template. This seems to indicate that down deep we know the right thing.
Lord, thank You that You wake us up to your ways. Help us to avoid destructive behavior.