2 Timothy 3:1-4
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…
Without a doubt, our present times check all the boxes of the things that Paul mentions in this passage. Pleasure, especially, and the pursuit of its fulfilment has become a distinguishing marker of our generation. Anyone and anything that stands in the way of this pursuit is quickly ‘cancelled’ and labelled all manner of names. Pleasure has become Lord. No wonder, then, some of the things that were considered abhorrent and abominations are now being celebrated. Worse still, even some church leaders are seeking for justification in order to allow people to freely indulge their bodily pleasures.
When a society becomes obsessed with pleasure and forgets God, then you know that the end is imminent. We have a glimpse of this in the Old Testament in the stories of the flood and in Sodom and Gomorrah. In both these accounts, the people engaged in the most vile of sexual practices, which attracted God’s wrath. Let us, therefore, beware and put to death any fleshly tendencies in us in order that we might enter the Kingdom of God. Let us not be those who explain away God’s Word in order to justify the seeking of sinful pleasure. And even in our times when it seems difficult to stand in righteousness and holiness, let us remember the encouragement of Scripture:
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age… (Titus 2:11-12)
Reflections
1. How have you seen the love for pleasure as opposed to God play out in our society?
2. What is your view on the embrace of alternative sexuality?
3. In view of today’s devotion, how will you respond?
