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“But mark this there will be terrible times in the last days.

People 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 them.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)

From time to time in our Christian walk, we have to view less than honorable behavior-from people who call themselves God’s children. What can devoted, caring, obedient believers do to protect themselves? Can anything be done to gently correct the errant person or persons about their display of unacceptable behavior?

As God’s children, He tells us to partake of certain practices that will draw us close to Him. Prayer, Bible study, devotions and meditations are avenues to reach, commune with, and fellowship with Him. We have to keep something in mind. The evils in the passage cited above are things we might have been guilty of ourselves. Our Lord told the house of Israel to “Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:15.)

When people’s actions convey disrespect for God, they grieve Him and the Holy Spirit. We can only pray and ask God to work through His Helper to change them.

A friend may feel he or she is the target of another person’s questionable behavior. We may understand the concern and might have seen the same display aimed at us at one time or another. All we can do is pray for the particular people involved and for ourselves that we exhibit godly behavior to all.

Sometimes we are the target or even the audience of ungodly behavior and may have to enlist the aid of some trusted Christian brothers and sisters to pray about the need and the feelings it causes us to have. In a corporate setting we can ask for prayer for an unspoken need.

Paul tells us we are to ‘pray for everyone, even those who have authority over us.’ (1 Timothy 2:1-2) We may find it odd to actually put this in practice but, if we take the time, our lives will become more peaceful, more holy, and more godly.

At the same time, we may have to take inventory of our lives and address any actions or attitudes we have that may come across as worldly. This can cause us some pain but it also brings about personal growth.

When we surrender our hearts to God, it becomes our desire to model Him before those around us. We do this by living the way He wants us to, by allowing God to grow the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in our hearts and lives.

Yes, we do see ungodly behavior in our world. We also see godliness demonstrated on a daily basis. God commissions us to live for Him in all we do. He gives us commands, and rules to follow. God doesn’t leave us alone to fend for ourselves in times of testing; He sent a Comforter in the form of His Holy Spirit to guide us through the rough times and the times when we doubt.

Paul tells us we will have times when ungodly behavior will be prevalent in our world. We have to approach God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit to be able to surmount what we see and remain true to Him.

Dear Father:

We see all forms of ungodly behavior in our world today. Please forgive us when we accept, overlook, wink at, or copy it. We love You, Lord and want to live for You. Please show us how we can in a way that causes those around us who search for solace to find You. We ask that You wrap your arms of love around them, draw them close, speak words of comfort into their ears, and show them how to live their lives in a way that reflects You. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 30, 2010)