So Help Me God

DEVOTION
2 TIMOTHY
SO HELP ME GOD
2 Tim 3:1-5
3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
NIV
What an awful list of human behaviors. I hope I never see this within the society I live. Yet I have mixed emotions about seeing this begin around me. On the one hand when all this happens, I know the end is near, and I am at peace with that. But on the other hand I think it would be a terrible thing to witness people behavior in such manner. I can understand how ungodly people might behave this way, but I would hate to think these behaviors and ways of thinking would infiltrate the body of Christ. I don’t think any one person could possibly exhibit all those bad qualities at once, but rather each person could have one or two and thus this is a list of the whole of the society at the end times. It does seem as though it is happening right now. I could find people who would at least have one or more of the behaviors or attitudes listed and what bothers me is I think I can find them in the church. That phrase, “having a form of godliness but denying its power” is the key to my concerns about finding them in the body of Christ. I certainly would think it might be a good idea to pin this list in my mirror so that each morning and evening I could make a mental check if I am getting distracted from my desire to follow God, and if I see any of those creeping in, I can perform surgery immediately on myself, cutting them out and flushing them down the sink. This list is so long, I think I would have to do a separate devotion on each item listed if I were to do a self-examination. It might serve me well to do just that. I think searching deep within, being completely honest with myself, not trying to rationalize, or justify, or making excuses for being any one of these listed would be a well worth exercise. If I did excuse myself for any of these it would be a travesty. Although I think some of these things are already present in the society and even in the members of the church, going on a witch hunt looking to find faults with others rather than seeking for any faults within would also be a travesty. This list is for me and me alone to check me against. Do I have a responsibility to instruct others in this truth? Sure, but not a judge or jury, but as an instrument of God, sharing his truth and his truth only. I should not shy away from teaching this truth and only stay in other truths. I must preach the whole truth nothing but the truth, so help me God. And believe me, I need his help. I need his help to examine myself, and to share this truth. So help me God.