A Tide Turning?

Jesus taught about how the Word operates - the seed of His Word is planted and it grows with the proper care. In Mark 4, He states:
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.
18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

You have four categories here - same seed: the wayside, stony ground, thorny ground, and good ground. Not all ground is good; there are types of soil where the Word will not grow. That's true for our own hearts - we have to make sure our hearts are open to what God wants to teach us. We are also called, I believe, to be sowers - the Word will not always be accepted because of the heart condition. But, if we are diligent, and patient, we can be hopeful that God's truth will penetrate hearts, recognizing that Isaiah says the Word will not return void. 

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The Bible teaches us to be steadfast in the Lord and continue to trust in Him, even when we may not see the result. We can continue to plant the Word in our own hearts and proclaim it in our culture. Galatians 6 states:
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

After leaders have made LGBT rights a centerpiece of their decision-making, and as we continue to see overreach by those who would further that agenda, I think it leads to the conclusion that was published at The Daily Citizen of Focus on the Family recently, which said: "Support for the redefinition of marriage has increased steadily ever since states starting legalizing male- and female-less marital unions. But that shine seems to be dulling of late."

The article quoted a study by the Public Religion Research Institute, which is a survey organization with a progressive bent; it said: "For the first time since the Public Religion Research Institute’s (PRRI) American Values Atlas began tracking nationwide support for same-sex marriage and other gay causes, these researchers found a decline in support for gay and trans issues in the past year. The decline in approval was not just related to same-sex marriage. It also extended to so-called nondiscrimination protections, and more citizens now support the rights of religious citizens to refuse to support gay causes they disagree with."

Here's one example: "PRRI explains that many religious groups — though not all — registered small declines in support for gay causes. Even young Americans, aged 18-29, show a gradual decrease in support for such advocacy over the last three years, declining from a peak of 83% in 2020 to 75% in 2023. That is not insignificant."  

According to the survey, 67% are in favor of "marriage redefinition."  That's up 13 points from 2014, but down 2 percent from 2022.  There's also a 5-point drop in support for certain creative professionals to be forced to provide services for gay weddings.  

And, PRRI's survey is not an outlier.  The Daily Citizen notes: 

Last year, Gallup reported that citizens who believe sexual relations between people of the same sex are morally acceptable declined 7 percentage points, from 71% approval in 2022 to 64% in 2023. This was a greater drop than the decline in moral approval (-4%) of sexual relations between unmarried men and women.

Here are some other findings by Gallup last year, according to its website:

A majority, 55%, consider “changing one’s gender” to be more “morally wrong,” while 43% say it is “morally acceptable.”

Those results are slightly less accepting than in 2021, when Gallup last asked the question -- 51% thought changing one’s gender was morally wrong, and 46% morally acceptable.

And, there's this:

A larger majority of Americans now (69%) than in 2021 (62%) say transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform with their birth gender. Likewise, fewer endorse transgender athletes being able to play on teams that match their current gender identity, 26%, down from 34%.

The Daily Citizen article had this comment regarding the PRRI findings: "This decline could possibly be the result of citizens growing tired of being regularly bombarded with gay causes nearly everywhere they turn in popular culture. Has this saturation reached a critical tipping point? A growing number of Americans seem to believe it has all been too much for their tastes and this is being reflected in polling data."

A tipping point.  "Jumping the shark."  Perhaps Americans have begun to say "enough" to this agenda. The debacle that was "Pride Month" last year was certainly an encouraging indication of how the American public may have shifted. It's definitely encouraging for those of us who have taken a strong, Biblical stand on the issue of Biblical marriage and sexuality.  It's certainly not time to throw a party or have a victory celebration, but momentum may be heading in a new direction. 

This can be a reminder to have a long-term goal - those who champion so-called "progressive" causes certainly have shown the penchant to establish their agenda.  It's been called the "long march through the institution."  In matters of morality rooted in Scripture, we have to have a long-term mentality and pursue it with all our might, without growing discouraged, not being "weary while doing good," as the Bible says.  

We have to be strategic in our approach and hopeful in our outlook. Jesus spoke of the struggles we would encounter, but told His disciples to be cheerful.  How can we in a world that rejects His truth? Because we believe in the power of His love and the persuasion of His truth, living in a way that draws people to our great Savior.