Unfortunately, we are often like Martha, trying to do too much, and in the process becoming ineffective in handling the demands of life. How do we know if we are taking on too much? Look at the signs of struggle that Martha demonstrated, and check to see if those same signs appear in our lives, before it all comes crashing down!

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 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 3:1-5).

Many Christians believe we are currently living through the very last of the Last Days (aka The End of the World As We Know It). And those paying attention to the nightly news, ranting on social media, or the culture war raging around us would likely point to Paul’s prophecy of 2 Timothy 3 as proof of that belief.

These verses describe the end of this age using the phrase perilous times – meaning dangerous, tense, tumultuous, emotionally difficult times. These are times dominated by a “me-centric” humanity: spiritually bankrupt, morally twisted, and lacking self-discipline.

Call me crazy, but that sounds spot on to me; people today are simply in love with themselves!

But being in love with is quite different than loving oneself, which is entirely Scriptural:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Everyone should love themselves. It’s the second greatest commandment out of the lips of Jesus — second only to loving God. And it implies that I can’t love you properly unless I love me as well! That is, the way I love me directly affects how I love, treat, and respect you.

If I’m not happy with me, content, at peace and secure in myself, I will project my insecurities onto you, and be jealous of you, disloyal, harsh and unforgiving, unkind, envious and inconsiderate toward you. Because, if I don’t love me, I simply can’t love you either. And how I treat you is a reflection of me, more than it is of you.

When you are in love with yourself, like when you are in love with someone else, you become excessively fond, attracted, infatuated with and self-consumed.

This word is literally describing a worship of one’s self.

In self-worship, every situation encountered is first filtered through how does this affect me? 

It is not a matter of fairness or justice, not mercy, nor right or wrong, and not what God says in Scripture, but is entirely based on the question: what is best for me? 

Photo credit: Unsplash/Josh Boot

God is not an assembly line or cookie-cutter God. God’s character never changes, but His actions are custom made, perfect for each individual and situation. That means, regardless of how we may presume He will answer our prayers, God doesn’t necessarily deliver miracles our way, but rather He does it His way!

There is a popular saying that goes, “no man is an island.” What that means is that we humans are not meant to do life alone. What we do and say affects others and what they do and say affects us. That implies that the greatest thing we can do to cultivate success in life is to intentionally surround ourselves with the right people, or personal “team.”

Your “team” is that group of people who influence you and your life decisions the most. They may be your group of trusted friends, or your parents, spouse and children. Maybe your team is your neighbors, your co-workers, or the people in your connection group.

Whoever makes up that team for you, if you want to find yourself still standing at the end of life’s inevitable storms, you must surround yourself with the right team.

We can see the truth of this played out in Luke 5, the story of the paralyzed man and his four friends.

“One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ … He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God” (Luke 5:17-20, 24-25).

Notice that this paralyzed man found himself at the end of his personal health storm, standing and perfectly healed, because he had the right team of friends surrounding him.

There are four practical laws for creating this kind of an amazing team, that, if you will apply them in your storm, will empower you as well.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Luis Alvarez

We must personally take action to stop procrastinating, making excuses, and overpromising while underdelivering. In order to see real change and authentic breakthrough, we must stop “starting,” and begin “finishing” what God has instructed us to do. 

Even spiritual giants face storms. Just look at how many storms the Apostle Paul faced during his life and ministry. This is the same Paul who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. This is the man who was caught up to the third heaven, where God shared with him spiritual truths that were so deep, he couldn’t even repeat them. And if this spiritual giant – a hero of the faith – faced storms, so will you and I.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

When King Saul had finally exhausted the Lord’s mercy because of his evil deeds, He sent the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king from the sons of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:1-13). As each of the seven strong, good-looking men were brought before Samuel, the Lord said, “no, not him!” It was so strange, Samuel asked Jesse, Are you sure these are all your sons? And Jesse had to reply, Well, I guess, there is the boy, but he is out taking care of the sheep!

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An offering, because it is voluntary, is determined by each person “in his heart.” It should be a reflection of the abundance we have received, and given with the intent to be a blessing and honor God. “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the first fruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9).

 Jesus was making a statement that we must not get comfortable and ignore sin in our lives. In fact, He expects us to judge ourselves, repent and turn away from sinful things (and “cut it off”). And to properly judge ourselves, we must have God’s perspective on sin, which begins with an understanding how we stumble in the first place. 

At these times when we are tempted to lose our faith and hope, we need to remember that God will engineer a rematch in such cases, and He has rigged the outcome by giving us an unbeatable weapon – His name.

“Fear not” is neither an accusation of cowardice, nor gaslighting in a dangerous situation; it is the assurance that God is present, and therefore, all will be well.

God will give us wisdom and direction to make the right choice, but He doesn’t do the choosing. We are responsible for our choices and therefore our life experience. 

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world’” (John 9:1-6).

Has life ever hit you so hard that it’s left you questioning God?

Your boss lays you off. The industry you prepared years in school to enter collapses. Your spouse of 25 years says they don’t love you anymore, and leaves. The doctor says it’s cancer.  The teenager you raised in church gets arrested. The loved one you held up in prayer for healing, dies anyway.

Still, you haven’t lost your faith. You love God but you have been left perplexed and confused, lost and a bit broken. You turn to the One who holds your world in His hands and cry out asking How God…When God...Why God?!

-Why won’t this go away?

-Why don’t You fix it?

-Why me…and why now?

-When is it going to be over?

-When will it be my turn?

-What did I do to deserve this?

Have you ever been there?

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Throughout their lives, many of God’s kids carry around a big, heavy, burlap bag called guilt. We pick up this heavy burden of guilt from many different places, don’t we? For example, we pick up the bag of guilt from:

- Missing opportunities

- Failing to “measure up”

- Doing something we know we shouldn’t have

- Becoming jaded by life, circumstances, or people

- Interpreting our family upbringing negatively

- Viewing God as an angry ogre who is waiting to “get us”

Photo credit: Unsplash/Alex Jones