Difficult Times
Variously referred to as difficult, perilous, or terrible times, they have been haunting us for centuries, and they will likely be around for awhile longer.
Friends,
This isn’t likely to surprise you. We are living in difficult, perhaps perilous times. What I'm about to tell you has been known for a couple thousand years. News of these difficult times first appeared in a letter from the first church planter, the Apostle Paul, written to his protege, a young man by the name of Timothy. The letter, which is referred to as 2nd Timothy, was written around AD 64-65 while Paul was in a Roman prison waiting to be executed because of his faith in Jesus. Since he was a Roman citizen, his execution . This letter is thus considered his swan song.
Difficult times
Variously referred to as difficult, perilous, or terrible times, they were only beginning at the time of Paul’s writing. Difficult times have been haunting us for centuries, and they will likely continue as long as life on earth continues. Perhaps some improvement will come after November this year, but the main catalyst of our difficulties will remain. We are on a journey on a proverbial roller coaster. Things may get better for a time, then they get worse. Up, down, up, down, on and on.
I have taken the liberty of writing a paraphrase of a portion of Paul’s letter to Timothy below. It’s my personal reading of 2 Timothy 3:1-7, but I think it captures the essence of what Paul is warning Timothy and us about.
There will be difficult times in these last days. There will be people who love themselves, and love their money. People who are boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure, pretending to be godly, but denying God’s power.
These people are the kind who worm their way into our lives and gain control over the gullible, and there are many gullible people roaming around. They are loaded down with sin and wrongdoing, and are easily swayed by lying lips and every other kind of evil. They are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
They are people with depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. They won’t go very far because their folly will become clear to everyone.
Wow!
Sound like any time or people you know? It looks like a fairly accurate picture of what the world is like right now, and has been like for some time.
We are living in difficult times, but just because live in difficult times, doesn’t mean we have to give in to them. There is a way to live above the difficulties. The way is a gift from a loving God who created us to enjoy life in Him. Not a life without difficulty, but a life where we can live in the difficulty with grace and love. It involves turning to Him by way of His Son Jesus.
We can overcome
Jesus doesn’t promise to take away all the difficulty life brings us. As long as sin exist in this world there will be people who will make things difficult, and will try to take advantage of those they see as less. They can’t help it really. It is who they are. Their nature.
Jesus offers us a different way. A way of hope and peace. He also give us a new nature, if we choose to accept it. A nature that enables us to move beyond the hard times and hard people. He frees us from the sin that keeps us pinned down.
Gaining this freedom and the ability to live above the difficulties of this life requires only one thing. A willingness to give Jesus, the Prince of Peace, an opportunity to renew your life. Believing Jesus and following Him frees us from having to live in surrender to difficulties in this life.
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Be an overcomer. Follow Jesus.
Ending thoughts
There is so much more I could say, but this is enough for now. I would like to encourage you to ask questions and discuss this more. You can leave a comment to begin with. The next step is up to you.