The temptations of the world captivate people every day. Everyone wants to become rich, everyone wants to live as they please. Evil is praised, while goodness is rejected. Immorality is appreciated, while decency has been forgotten.
It seems that people have lost their sense of shame and no longer see the difference between what is decent and what is immoral; between what is constructive and what is destructive. Those who stand for order, respect, and holiness are mocked, while those who promote sensuality grow more popular each day.
Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 that difficult and dangerous times will come—times in which people will have no respect, will persist in arrogance, in evil thoughts, and in hardness of heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
But it is notable that not everyone wants to hear the Word of God. Today, many do not want correction, discipline, or self-control. They want to live “la vida loca,” believing that this is life, forgetting God. They refuse to listen because God’s Word confronts them.
But 2 Corinthians 4:3 says: “The time will come when they will no longer endure sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather teachers around them to tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth.”
Therefore, watch how you live—not as fools but as wise people. Make good use of your time, for the days are evil. Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)
We live in a time in which everyone must understand that you cannot build your family without Jesus Christ. Every household must be a house of prayer. People must dedicate time to God together with their families. The days in which people went to God’s house just three times a year—Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday (or the bishop’s visit)—are over.
The times we live in demand more time for the Lord, because the enemy’s attacks on families increase every day. Only with the Lord can we defeat the enemy.
In Galatians 5:19-21, the works of the flesh are shown. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, the works of the flesh and the change in human character are also revealed. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, God’s Word reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that we are not our own.
As these times grow more serious, how many still remember this? Who remembers that we have a purpose? Who remembers that we must have reverence and fear of God?
Let us pause and notice the absence of God—in our homes, in schools, in offices, in businesses—because many believe that everything they have comes from their own efforts, forgetting that God is the one who provides.
In our homes, we must make space for God. Stop running around, and put Jesus Christ first in our lives and in our families.
Written by Pastor Marcel Balootje.