2 Timothy 3

I love lists.  I love making lists and checking things off my list as I go.  I love the sense of accomplishment as I’m able to cross items off my list.  Whenever I do rounds at the hospital, I make a list of all the units and cross them off after they have been visited.  I make a list whenever I’m going out of town to make sure nothing gets left behind.  When I was in school I loved teachers who made a list of all the assignments I had to complete so I could see the progress through the semester.  I love lists – and oh does the Bible have a bunch of them.

The Bible has lists of family names – who begot whom; there are lists of nations and people groups; there are lists of gifts we can have; and there are lists of things we should do and things we should not do.  Our passage today gives us a list describing what the world is going to look like in the last days.  When you read through this list it doesn’t sound very different from the world we live in today.  The list includes people being lovers of self, being proud and arrogant, being ungrateful and heartless, and being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  Paul counters this list with that of following him and his example – having faith, patience, love, and steadfastness. 

I encourage you to read through the lists.  How have you been living lately?  Does the first list describe you better than the second?  Seek God that He would guide you in your reflection.

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy