Chew on This...
Pastor Patricia Jones Turner, MA
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT
We are now riding the tides of Covid. Remnants come and go shots and boosters remain and because of our Covid struggles inflation is looming and threats of other diseases are on the horizon. Violence continues to ensue, and we look for causes and search for assurances that “EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.” That is what God promises constantly isn’t it? Let’s see what He says:” But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Timothy 3:1-5
You see we like to “leapfrog” over truth and look to the Hills before looking at the prediction of what is to come. These verses in Timothy warn of what is to come and it tells us what to do about these terrible times. We, being the “don’t bring me no bad news” kinds of people that we are, don’t want to look realistically at where we are and how we can manage our frustration upon landing in the predictions of Timothy. We would like to disallow the negative and accent the positive. But we all gain strength when we “go through”. It’s like lifting weights to get our bodies in shape for a marathon. We must prepare to get our bodies in shape. The same is true of our psyche and Spirituality. Trouble though scary and painful we must go through it, but Timothy adds a means to an end by telling us to have nothing to do with the people who are behaving in ungodly mannerisms. Most would say,” but we must witness to them.” But if they are ungodly, to witness to them is like trying to convince an alcoholic that excessive drinking is not good for them. All of us will have a God moment. When He stands at the door and knocks on the heart. It’s up to individual to decide whether to be open or not. If you don’t believe He exist, you will not recognize His voice. Yes, we are His disciples, but He is the Creator, these individuals will not hear you if they don’t recognize who He is. Therefore, He says via Timothy, have nothing to do with these individuals. You are taking yourself down a long path of disappointments and sadness if you try to play God in their lives. Only the Creator can fix what is broken. You can love them and pray for them, but you cannot fix them. Only God can fix the brokenness within those who do not know Him. Stop casting your pearls to swine (Matthew 7:6-12). There is a difference between judgement and discernment. Look to God for the answers He who knows all will direct your path. We don’t save people God does.
You see we like to “leapfrog” over truth and look to the Hills before looking at the prediction of what is to come. These verses in Timothy warn of what is to come and it tells us what to do about these terrible times. We, being the “don’t bring me no bad news” kinds of people that we are, don’t want to look realistically at where we are and how we can manage our frustration upon landing in the predictions of Timothy. We would like to disallow the negative and accent the positive. But we all gain strength when we “go through”. It’s like lifting weights to get our bodies in shape for a marathon. We must prepare to get our bodies in shape. The same is true of our psyche and Spirituality. Trouble though scary and painful we must go through it, but Timothy adds a means to an end by telling us to have nothing to do with the people who are behaving in ungodly mannerisms. Most would say,” but we must witness to them.” But if they are ungodly, to witness to them is like trying to convince an alcoholic that excessive drinking is not good for them. All of us will have a God moment. When He stands at the door and knocks on the heart. It’s up to individual to decide whether to be open or not. If you don’t believe He exist, you will not recognize His voice. Yes, we are His disciples, but He is the Creator, these individuals will not hear you if they don’t recognize who He is. Therefore, He says via Timothy, have nothing to do with these individuals. You are taking yourself down a long path of disappointments and sadness if you try to play God in their lives. Only the Creator can fix what is broken. You can love them and pray for them, but you cannot fix them. Only God can fix the brokenness within those who do not know Him. Stop casting your pearls to swine (Matthew 7:6-12). There is a difference between judgement and discernment. Look to God for the answers He who knows all will direct your path. We don’t save people God does.
