2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)
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.
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.
After listing off all of these horrible attributes that look a lot like the days we are living in, Paul states the reason for the cause of them. He said that such people have a form of godliness, but deny it’s power. For sure, we struggle with this problem in our world today!
How do we have a form of godliness, but deny it’s power?
We do so by going through the motions of spiritual disciplines outside of a healthy relationship with God! Prayer is simply spoken words and empty wishes, reading the Bible is simply reading the words of a book, and worship is a mere physical act without the power of God that comes only through relationship. Coming to church to serve God and doing things for others is something that we have to irritably force ourselves to do without any natural desire to do so otherwise.
It is sort of like adding raw broth, potatoes, meat, and carrots to a crock pot and never plugging it in. What you end up hours later is the same raw broth, potatoes, meat, and carrots that you put in there. Many of us have all of the raw spiritual disciplines necessary for a healthy spiritual revival, but we’re lacking God’s power. If power is applied to that crock pot, however, those raw items combine to form an awesome stew. That stew’s aroma draws people in with a healthy appetite and desire for revival in their own lives!
As we become connected with God, those same spiritual disciplines will transform us. Prayer will become a constant connection with God as we walk with Him continually as our best friend. Reading the Bible will become the author whispering His living word into our lives at just the right time transforming our perspectives and the core of who we are. Worship will be without ceasing as our hearts overflow with thankfulness, psalms, hymns, songs from the Spirit, and sacrificial acts of service and generosity. We’ll be like kids at Christmas when it comes to attending church and serving the needs of others out of an awe of the raw love that He pours out into our lives!
Tired of just going through the motions with spiritual disciplines? Plug into the power of God and watch the Holy Spirit do a radical transformation in and through your life!