For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:2-5)

Lovers Of

The world at large is made up of those who love themselves and those who love God. It is not hard to distinguish the two apart from one another. The majority of the people of the world have little or no interest in God and live to please themselves. Life for the mass of humanity consists of waking each day to fulfill whatever desires and wishes they deem necessary and valuable to their lives. It could be their job that brings them complete satisfaction. Life can be measured by schemes to make more money. Many spend endless hours grooming their bodies to be the most beautiful, glamorous, and seductive allurements for others to gaze upon. The fame of the red carpet is where the heart of prideful spirits seeks fulfillment. Young minds are filled with the desire to be a famous athlete or musician, or actor to be looked upon with admiration.

Paul offers a concise list of challenges facing the majority of souls in the world. For most, life is about self and the love of self. Those who are lovers of themselves believe the world revolves around their life. They have the spirit of entitlement expecting the world to cower to their whims and desires. Lovers of money spend their lives conniving, scheming, and manipulating to gain as much wealth as possible. Many faithless hearts boast in arrogance to their self-worth. Pride is the spirit of the self-entitled men and women who view the world as their playground to do as they wish. Blasphemers are people who become their own gods, creating an air of self-worship and personal exaltation.

Family relationships have no meaning to lovers of self. There is no honor to parents or older adults as families are abandoned for the pleasures of self-indulgence. Life is characterized by what can be taken without any thankfulness or gratitude for others. The daily life of lovers of self is wholly unholy, immoral, and ungodly. They are unloving, unforgiving, and will slander others, and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. It will mean nothing to betray friends, act reckless, and boast of their superiority to all the world. These hearts are filled with the love of pleasure and nothing else.

Jesus told the multitude on the mountain most people will follow the broad path to destruction, and few will find everlasting life. It will only take a moment to see the picture of carnality in the world. These traits fill the landscape of the human experience. Look around and see how many lives follow the path in one form or another described by Paul. Sadly, the lovers of pleasures will enjoy life until they die and find no happiness after life. Lovers of God will be the only souls who find peace, happiness, and hope in this life and enjoy eternal rest in the life to come. The greatest tragedy for lovers of themselves is they live for pleasures that have no lasting value. It never brings the happiness they desire. Misery and hopelessness is the only answer they find. Lovers of God lived fulfilled lives full of value and worth. There are two kinds of people: they are both lovers of something. What they love is what makes a difference in their life now and, more importantly, what they find after life is gone. Your choice. What do you love?