Bring it Back - In Part!

      Remember a while back I did a blog taken from the scripture 2 Timothy 3:1-7? I talked about how those prophecies are coming true all around us and then I challenged you to think about it. Well, I decided I am going to break it down into sections I feel go together and share my thoughts about it.

     First, be aware that I am not taking the words in order, but I am grouping them together in groups that I feel reflect on one another. So the words I am choosing today are :lovers of their own selves", "boasters", "proud", "heady",  and "high-minded". Now you may be reading this and think, "What do these words have in common?" Well, I am just going to share my own thoughts about it and the rest is up to you, again!

     First off, consider a person who is a 'lover of his own self'. How can that be bad? Aren't we told that we are to love ourselves? Yes, we are, but there is a distinct difference here. This statement does not say to "love yourself" it says "lovers of their own selves", and that is very different. A person who is a "lover of their own self" is someone who thinks first and foremost about himself". He does things only to please himself, only if there is "something in it for him". And he will never admit to being wrong.  Can you see how those other words work into that? A person who "loves themselves" in this sense will tell everyone how good he is, how he beat everyone at the track meet, how he scored the most goals, and even to the extent of thinking he could be the only guy on the team and still win the game. AND he will let you know about it and will also let the others know how horrible they are!! I have seen kids on teams destroy a winning team because they could do no wrong, EVEN when they did, but it was always a teammates fault. Or their partners fault! Or the other guys fault. Their pride and high-mindedness will never let them look inside themselves and see that they may really be the cause of the problem! And being heady, to me, just means he is totally in his head and no one else matters. 

     Now, think about it! Have you seen people like this? Do you ever watch the news? Or sports? Or competitions of any kind? There are the good people, of course, not everyone falls into this arrogant trap in life, but too many do. And it seems to be the more we look around and make ourselves aware of the people around us, the more we see this kind of person. Prophecy coming true!?

     And one other point I'd like to make. With this kind of person you can never resolve problems UNLESS you are willing to take all the blame and worship him as he feels he should be worshipped. In order for a person to resolve issues of any kind they need to look inside of themselves and change themselves first. BUT a person with these traits: "lovers of their own selves", "boasters", "proud", "heady", and "high-minded", will never ever look inside themselves because they consider themselves above everyone else and, well, perfect. It is everyone else that is wrong!!! CAN they change? YES, everyone can change, but all change comes from the inside out and, again, they have to be willing to look inside themselves honestly! Tough call, but nothing is impossible, especially if they, or should I say, WE,  truly turn to the Lord for help. 

(Just a little side note for anyone who gets offended by me only using the male term "him"! I am old school and when I use that it includes females as well because this is NOT just a guy thing. There are females that fit into this category just as quickly and easily as do guys! So just consider it a general thing that covers all of us!!!)