Readings for today: Jeremiah 24-26, 2 Timothy 3
Yesterday, I had a conversation with a good friend about my views on the state of the world. He felt I was taking too dismal an approach. He felt I was too down on humanity. Too cynical about her future. Too pessimistic about her ability to make progress. He is not a Christian so he does not believe in original sin. He does not believe in total depravity. He believes human beings are essentially good and just need to be loved in order to be successful in this world. So I challenged him in return. What evidence does he see in the world today that would suggest to him humanity - as a whole - is essentially good? One only has to consider the greed of the ultra-wealthy. The corruption rife in every human government. The lust for power and control. The objectification and abuse of women. The persistent hatred between tribes and ethnicities. The penchant for violence - physical, emotional, professional, personal - against those we consider our enemies. The selfishness of the average person. Shall I go on? Certainly, individuals are capable of great good as our groups of individuals but on the whole, on balance, when one honestly considers the natural state of humanity, it isn’t good. It’s almost as if the Apostle Paul had caught wind of it…
“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Not much has changed in two thousand years. Humanity is still a wilderness calling for a voice. Still a dumpster fire desperate for water to put out her flames. Yes, we’ve made some progress. Yes, life expectancies have gone up. The amount of wealth we create on an annual basis is staggering. Technology has made life so much easier. But to what end? Why live longer in misery? Why pursue wealth when it so easily snares our hearts? Why innovate when such technology can be turned to horrifyingly destructive ends?
Please hear me out. I am not saying we shouldn’t do these things just that we need to rediscover our purpose. Our chief end. Our primary goal which is “a godly life in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:12) Without Jesus as our North Star. Without Jesus as our True North. Without Jesus leading the way, we fall into all sorts of error. We fall into all sorts of self-inflicted suffering and pain. We fall into all manner of evil and sin. Only Christ can lift us up out of the hole we’ve dug for ourselves. Only Christ can set our feet on a firm foundation rather than the shifting sand we too often choose for ourselves. Only Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts which is to be loved.
My friend was right about one thing. We all long to be loved. We all need to be loved. We all were made to be loved. Loved by God. Loved by others. The lack of love in our world is the fundamental issue we face. It is the scarcity of love that creates so much of the world’s problems. None of this is new to God. He saw it in Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and all the generations down to Noah. He saw it in humanity after the Flood and identified a family through which He would reveal His great love to the world. But Abraham and Isaac and Jacob struggled with to love as well as did Moses and Joshua and David and Solomon and Israel. So God sent His one and only Son into the world. Jesus came with a mission to show the world the heights and depths of the love of God. He gave His very life to make God’s love known. And all who look to Him in faith have received the gift of God’s faithful, steadfast, everlasting, loyal, covenant love in return. This is the story the Bible tells and it’s why we must spend time in God’s Word every single day. To remind ourselves we are loved and to remind ourselves of the charge to go and tell the world about the love we have found in Christ. This is why Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Friends, God is equipping you for every good work. God is preparing you to be His instrument of love and grace in our world. God is getting you ready to endure the persecution that will come to all who truly seek to follow Jesus. Abide in God’s Word and let His Word abide in you. Abide in God’s love and let His love abide in you. Do all you can to live a godly life in Christ Jesus and you will find the peace and joy your heart longs for.
Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 27-28, 2 Timothy 4