I am doing things a little differently today in that I am posting to my blog before writing in my journal. There are a lot of thoughts and questions circling in my head and I am still trying to process through them.
This morning I read 2 Timothy 1-3. I was searching for the answers to my questions and did not find those answers, but I did find other interesting things.
2 Timothy 2:22-26 hit me in a new way. I have just graduated college and started teaching in a "real" job instead of just in Sunday school. In fact, I am taking a sabbatical from teaching in Sunday school for a while so I can focus on becoming the woman God wants me to be and develop relationships with the families in the church. Verse 22 says "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." I have started doing that this summer as I have been trying to break free from my sin (5 days clean!) and seek God's will for my life now that I am out of school. I have not done a perfect job of that (hence only 5 days clean), but I am praying and fighting for it.
Verse 23 says "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." Oh, looking back on my life, I have always sought out stupid arguments and spent countless hours talking in circles with people! I take it as a sign that I am maturing when I avoid those situations where there will be nothing but talking in circles...
Verse 24-26: "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel: instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." These verses apply in so many areas of my life! First, as the only believer in the kitchen. There is no use arguing with my coworkers. It will only cause frustration and damage morale. Instead, I have to listen to them and gently defend my faith. When they ask questions, I explain it to them. But I should not engage in arguments. My stance has already started making an impact. I pray that God will help continue that.
Second, as a teacher. I have to guide these children in the way of truth when there is very little stability or discipline at home. Talk about a hard job! The kids do not understand why I do not let them push to the front of the line. They don't get why they are not allowed to mess with each other or why they get in trouble for breaking the rules. I can't share the truth of the gospel, and arguing with a child is... well... childish... so I need to show them the truth in gentle yet firm love.
There are so many other ways to apply that, but I'm going to move on to what caught my eye in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. Here, Paul describes what will happen in the last days. I am very cautious in applying prophecies to current events but here... well, I think it is very clear. Paul says "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth- men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone." I think that passage very clearly describes the people I see around me every day. I have coworkers who believe in a "higher power" and believe in doing good things, but they do not believe in God because "a loving god would not condemn me to hell for that." I see the kids in my class who are so incredibly selfish, and it goes beyond natural childhood selfishness. I see people completely disrespecting their parents... one girl I work with has a tattoo that she has spent the past few years hiding from her parents because she knows she would get in trouble for it. Everyone disrespects their parents at some point, but I'm talking about consistent disrespect. People today are completely ungrateful! I heard 4 thank-you's this week and never a please. Everyone has a "serve me!" mentality. As for entering homes, has anyone turned on a tv or the radio lately? Just look at all the messages sent on the airwaves! It is suddenly ok to disrespect parents because children are too young to know better and teenagers must go through a phase of rebellion and when you are an adult it doesn't matter anymore. It is suddenly ok to have sex as a teenager and before marriage because the media is broadcasting it as being the normal thing to do. And how sad is it that it has become the normal thing to do! Homosexuality has gotten to the point that people really believe that they are born that way. Our children are being raised thinking that is a normal lifestyle. I see boys and girls kissing at other boys and girls because they have been taught that it is normal to be a homosexual, but if you try to teach them differently you are suddenly being intolerant. What happened to good old fashioned values? Yes, I believe we are spiraling down toward the end times. Come Lord Jesus!
This morning I read 2 Timothy 1-3. I was searching for the answers to my questions and did not find those answers, but I did find other interesting things.
2 Timothy 2:22-26 hit me in a new way. I have just graduated college and started teaching in a "real" job instead of just in Sunday school. In fact, I am taking a sabbatical from teaching in Sunday school for a while so I can focus on becoming the woman God wants me to be and develop relationships with the families in the church. Verse 22 says "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." I have started doing that this summer as I have been trying to break free from my sin (5 days clean!) and seek God's will for my life now that I am out of school. I have not done a perfect job of that (hence only 5 days clean), but I am praying and fighting for it.
Verse 23 says "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." Oh, looking back on my life, I have always sought out stupid arguments and spent countless hours talking in circles with people! I take it as a sign that I am maturing when I avoid those situations where there will be nothing but talking in circles...
Verse 24-26: "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel: instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." These verses apply in so many areas of my life! First, as the only believer in the kitchen. There is no use arguing with my coworkers. It will only cause frustration and damage morale. Instead, I have to listen to them and gently defend my faith. When they ask questions, I explain it to them. But I should not engage in arguments. My stance has already started making an impact. I pray that God will help continue that.
Second, as a teacher. I have to guide these children in the way of truth when there is very little stability or discipline at home. Talk about a hard job! The kids do not understand why I do not let them push to the front of the line. They don't get why they are not allowed to mess with each other or why they get in trouble for breaking the rules. I can't share the truth of the gospel, and arguing with a child is... well... childish... so I need to show them the truth in gentle yet firm love.
There are so many other ways to apply that, but I'm going to move on to what caught my eye in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. Here, Paul describes what will happen in the last days. I am very cautious in applying prophecies to current events but here... well, I think it is very clear. Paul says "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth- men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone." I think that passage very clearly describes the people I see around me every day. I have coworkers who believe in a "higher power" and believe in doing good things, but they do not believe in God because "a loving god would not condemn me to hell for that." I see the kids in my class who are so incredibly selfish, and it goes beyond natural childhood selfishness. I see people completely disrespecting their parents... one girl I work with has a tattoo that she has spent the past few years hiding from her parents because she knows she would get in trouble for it. Everyone disrespects their parents at some point, but I'm talking about consistent disrespect. People today are completely ungrateful! I heard 4 thank-you's this week and never a please. Everyone has a "serve me!" mentality. As for entering homes, has anyone turned on a tv or the radio lately? Just look at all the messages sent on the airwaves! It is suddenly ok to disrespect parents because children are too young to know better and teenagers must go through a phase of rebellion and when you are an adult it doesn't matter anymore. It is suddenly ok to have sex as a teenager and before marriage because the media is broadcasting it as being the normal thing to do. And how sad is it that it has become the normal thing to do! Homosexuality has gotten to the point that people really believe that they are born that way. Our children are being raised thinking that is a normal lifestyle. I see boys and girls kissing at other boys and girls because they have been taught that it is normal to be a homosexual, but if you try to teach them differently you are suddenly being intolerant. What happened to good old fashioned values? Yes, I believe we are spiraling down toward the end times. Come Lord Jesus!
