Why do I warn others about the last days' mentality mentioned by God in 2 Timothy 3? I do it because this mentality touches our lives every single day.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
We must endure the insults and misunderstandings of the world on a regular basis as born-again believers.
When we are secure in the Lord we can rise above the antics of others through the love of Jesus Christ. We do not have to respond to insults or return insult for insult.
The devil's favorite tactic is to poke at us until we blow up in anger, then he has effectively removed our witness for Christ.
It's a very strange phenomenon that a mean person pokes, the believer responds in kind and those watching only see the response of the believer. They don't seem to notice that the bully provoked the problem.
In order to avoid being provoked by bullies, we must be so secure in the Lord that we feel the sense of needing to defend or explain ourselves.
Proverbs 26:4-5
"4 Do not answer a fool [a]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
5 Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be wise in his own eyes."
When a Christian group says they are going to "take back the rainbow" they are responding back to the wicked man who is attempting to provoke them into a fight.
When we say things like; "they are not going to get away with that without a fight", we are responding to the bully with a worldly passion that detracts from their life in Christ.
The only two times we saw Christ respond in anger was when the religious leaders were claiming to speak for His Father but were hypocrites and did not know His Father. The other time was when the money changers were defiling His Father's house by making it a house of merchandise while fleecing the people.
When Christ was personally reviled He answered not a word, or simply spoke the truth.
We must always speak the truth when led by the Holy Spirit as well as remain silent when led by the Holy Spirit. We do not have to answer everything that happens.
When we feel driven to answer back in defense of ourselves it is a sure sign we are still self-focused.
When we are Christ-centered we do not feel a need to be defensive when the attack is personal. People who attack to be superior are not secure people, they are fragile and must gain any sense of value through the tearing down of others.
Answering these people does not change them, they are not to be reasoned with, they are to be avoided while praying for them.
The heart of someone who elevates self through demeaning others is too far broken for any reasonable response to help them, it must be Christ Who changes their heart. We are not responsible to make every bully understand anything about us.
Bullies often accuse us of the things they are doing and we are not. They judge us according to their own heart not according to ours. In fact, they do not see our hearts at all, they only see a target to be oppressed.
Matthew 7:2 "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
The bully wants special treatment above others, they do not want others to have the same respect they expect.
Matthew 7:12 "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
We can pity the bully, they are deeply troubled while trying to dig themselves out of their misery by making others miserable. They are never joyful and do not possess hope beyond being superior to others.
Isaiah 29:20 "For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off."
When we love Christ we love to elevate others above ourselves, we love to serve and we have no desire to be superior to anyone.
Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
What a joy it is to know the Lord, walk in His ways without a need to feel superior. We are most blessed when we bring joy and happiness to others.
Hallelujah!!!!
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