Self-Love

​Good morning. What a great day to have the opportunity to walk in the land of the living and to see the many miracles that are performed on our behalf because of love. Paul, in his encouragement to Timothy, gave him a warning that is well worth our attention as it relates to the display of love in the last days. 2Timothy 3:1-4 NET “But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, savage, opposed to what is good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.” Paul gives us signs of the last days and the corruption of true love. He mentions four things to take note of, love will be focused on ourselves, love will be focused on money, love will be on pleasure, and finally, just the fact that people would be unloving. If these four things he mentioned were true approximately two thousand years ago, how much more relevant is it today as all these have increased.  

We give so much attention to self-love that we have forgotten what it means to sacrifice for others. We have even taken the extreme view that we must love ourselves more than anything else, including our God. Although we do need to respect and honor ourselves, the Bible is clear about what comes first. Matthew 10:37 NET “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” 

There is not enough time to cover pleasure and money this morning, but I believe it is self-evident. Christmas always brings to mind Charles Dickens’ classic “Scrooge”. The story centers around self-love while others around you are suffering. Yet, it is within our means to reach out and love those around us. It should not take a visitation by a death angel to provoke us to love our neighbors, to once again become a lover of God versus pleasure money or even ourselves. 

So, let’s take Paul’s challenge today to understand the signs of the time and to be able to walk in love. The next verse brings the point home. 2Timothy 3:5 NET “They will maintain the outward appearance of religion but will have repudiated its power. So, avoid people like these.” I would ask today can we not only avoid people like this but not become like this ourselves? Not looking religious but having a love that brings life and is not focused on pleasure, money, or ourselves. The outward appearance of religion is as ineffective as having food but unable to enjoy the taste or flavor.

​ Think about these things as we celebrate the most wonderful love shown to mankind. “For the joy set out for him, He endured.” What will you endure? God bless you, my beloved.