I’m indebted to June who drew my attention to this paragraph. It sounds like a modern-day description of the United States, not something written in the Bible nearly 2,000 years ago:
Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people. (2 Timothy 3.1 – 5, MSG)
Shall I bullet it out so we don’t miss it?
Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be
- self-absorbed,
- money-hungry,
- self-promoting,
- stuck-up,
- profane,
- contemptuous of parents,
- crude,
- coarse,
- dog-eat-dog,
- unbending,
- slanderers,
- impulsively wild,
- savage, cynical,
- treacherous,
- ruthless,
- bloated windbags,
- addicted to lust, and
- allergic to God.
“As the end approaches…” The end of what? The age? Or just the U.S.?
What to do? Hard to say, but as a minimum, let’s all:
- Pray the big picture: (1 Timothy 2.1, 2)
- Live on mission in our corner: (2 Timothy 2.1, 2 – Be strong…pass it along)
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. (Philippians 2.14 – 16, NIV)
Not to be too political, but it sounds a lot like a Northern power in Europe trying to take over another power. We have colleagues in Kyiv – so sad and scary!! And truly, prayer is the best thing and, in many ways, the only thing we can do to help!
There’s that, of course, but I was thinking more about behaviors right here at home.