No credit taken for this column’s title today. Before it hit File Thirteen, I read it on the front of a magazine that was promoting one of the articles inside and it stuck with me. Courage in a crumbling culture.

Wonder what the original author actually said in his article? I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to assume it was along these lines: Folks, we are in trouble in our country. Everything we took for granted for years has changed, or is in the process of changing. Or being obliterated completely. Things like truth. We always assumed truth meant actual unchangeable facts. Now? Not so, my gullible friend. Truth now is whatever the person wants it to be. And if the real meaning of truth is up for grabs, then there is absolutely nothing concrete we can stand upon. We have no bedrock foundation that can keep our culture firmly upright and stable, without wobbling, crumbling and finally collapsing.

Obeying and depending on our God and Creator has also fallen by the wayside in the United States.

Today people are worshiping and following something else - self.

Maturity and self-control that causes a man or woman to become a responsible citizen in our country has given way to “This is exactly how I feel and what I want to do, so I’m gonna do it. And besides, nobody ain’t the boss of anybody – so you or no &!@$* policeman is gonna stop me!” That belief has replaced doing what is right and good.

Another concept lost is that of everyone doing steady ongoing work in today’s culture. Doing a day or a night’s worth of honest, responsible employment, week after week. Simply because bills have to be paid, kids need to be fed, and companies need trustworthy hard workers in order to keep our country thriving and strong. For a large portion of adults today, that thought is now only part of our dead and buried past.

For them, work is basically for one purpose only. For self. To feed a habit, or to have enough money to party or travel. Far too many are viewing work as the short-term means toward doing what they want ... right now. There is little thought given to committing - settling in and settling down with goals. That just ain’t fun enough.

Courage today in this crumbling culture. You had better develop it, and in a big hurry. And it needs to be based on an unmovable foundation - called the Lord God and Creator. Because everything else is disintegrating quickly. The very foundations of our country and our world are wobbling and seem very close to following the prophecies found in Scripture. That everything will soon pass away.

But not the Creator of it all. He alone will stand strong and undefeated when it’s all said and done.

--- Podcasts are available at Coffeetimecolumn.com. Send any responses to andybowman839@gmail.com.