Every one of us experiences hard times, but we view those hard times differently. Some of us are surprised by them when they hit; others seem to expect them (and they miss the good times when they come); some see them as a nuisance you must deal with; others see them as moments to grow and learn from.
Scripture tells us we shouldn’t be surprised by them. Paul goes so far as to tell Timothy: But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. Throughout history, Christians have debated if they are in the last days. We might be now, we might not be yet. But we should live with the awareness that hard times will come. We shouldn’t be surprised by them. We shouldn’t look for them but see how to learn and grow from them.
That’s what Paul wants Timothy to do. He gives him a list in chapter 3 of things that can lead to hard times. In verses 2 – 4, he lists 19 different sins that can lead to hard times. To learn and grow from the hard times, we must know what can lead to them and what we should be pursuing out of them.
Here is the list:
- For people will be lovers of self
- Lovers of money
- Boastful
- Proud
- Demeaning
- Disobedient to parents
- Ungrateful
- Unholy
- Unloving
- Irreconcilable
- Slanderers
- Without self-control
- Brutal
- Without love for what is good
- Traitors
- Reckless
- Conceited
- Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
Look at this list; which stands out to you as you struggle? It is important to know because that area is where we are most prone to fall into temptation, but also the area that can lead to the greatest heartache and difficulty in our lives.
The 19 sins can fall into 3 categories: love of self, pleasure, and money.
Paul gives Timothy a charge on how to fight this:
To fight the love of self, pursue humility.
To fight the love of pleasure, pursue integrity.
To fight the love of money, pursue generosity.
Why do this? Tim Chester says, “All too often, we think of holiness as giving up the pleasures of sin for some worthy but drab life. But holiness means recognizing that the pleasures of sin are empty and temporary, while God is inviting us to magnificent, true, full, and rich pleasures that last forever.”
