10 Attitudes Wrecking Our World
by Eddie Foster
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Topics: Christian Living, Social Issues
What is happening? Why is the world in a seemingly endless cycle of upheaval, chaos and tragedy? There is an explanation, but you’re not going to like it.
That’s right. People. Humanity. Possibly even you and me.
Many even outside the religious world understand that unless humanity makes some changes, there is a high possibility that we could destroy ourselves. Yet the devil is in the details—literally.
The mere mention of the name Satan the devil will immediately separate people into two basic groups: those who believe he is real and those who believe he is just a mythical symbol of evil. The world continues to descend into hatred, violence and chaos, yet only about 57 percent of Americans even believe in Satan the devil. This appears to be an increase from recent years, but there is still a marked hesitation to believe in the existence of a literal spiritual instigator of evil.
The world continues to descend into hatred, violence and chaos, yet only about 57 percent of Americans even believe in Satan the devil.
So why do 57 percent of people believe Satan is real and influences humanity? Well, look around. Who is influencing and instigating the unbridled evil we see (and have seen) in our world? Consider some of the worst things: gang rape, genocide, corruption in business and politics, unprecedented dishonesty and cheating, bigotry, widespread pornography and the list could go on and on.
I see those things and believe that the Bible is right—there is a being who has deceived the entire world (Revelation 12:9).
Perilous men
Face it, we live in a perilous world. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul details what these perilous times would involve in the last days:
- Lovers of ourselves. Are people truly caring of others? Do most people truly love and esteem others better than themselves (Philippians 2:3)?
- Lovers of money. Do people murder, lie, cheat, betray and steal for those little pieces of paper? Many evils spring from a lust for wealth (1 Timothy 6:10).
- Boasters. Do we constantly trumpet our accomplishments and how great our lives are on Facebook? Do we think of ourselves humbly or “boast in [our] arrogance” (James 4:16)?
- Proud. Do people today have pride? Do politicians (by their own admission) ever make mistakes or judge wrongly? Do we see much of the godly attitude of humility in our society today (1 Peter 5:5)?
- Blasphemers. Does the entertainment industry mock God and His laws on a regular basis? Why is the God who loves and created humanity so rarely honored as holy (Leviticus 10:3)?
- Disobedient to parents. Are most children today respectful of their parents and other authority figures? Do children focus more on their “rights” and “wants” than respecting and honoring those in charge (Ephesians 6:1)?
- Unthankful. Do we commonly have an attitude of “What have you done for me lately?” Are we often thankful for what we have—or fixated on what we want (1 Thessalonians 5:18)?
- Unholy. Do we engage in activities the Bible calls unholy? Are the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) prevalent in the lives of many people today—even Christians?
- Unloving. Do people consistently allow outgoing concern and compassion to guide their thinking and actions? Are we surprised to see a weakening of love associated with a growing rejection of God (1 John 4:8)?
- Unforgiving. Do people commonly hold grudges or seek revenge for wrongs? We might truly forgive once or twice, but how about 70 times seven (Matthew 18:21-22)?
You mean there’s more?
This only covers the first 10 examples given by Paul that describe a world in which Satan’s thoughts and character are much more prevalent than God’s. In other words, it is describing the world we live in, right now.
The next post will conclude Paul’s list of examples of “perilous times” and provide some insight into how we can respond.
To learn more about the negative characteristics prevalent in today’s world and how to fight them, read our blog series on “Fighting the Works of the Flesh.”
Date Posted: September 23, 2016
About the Author
Eddie Foster
Eddie Foster was born in Ohio, and after living in several parts of the northeastern United States, he once again lives in the Buckeye State, most likely for good this time. He lives in the Dayton area with his wife, Shannon, and two daughters, Isabella and Marley. They attend the Cincinnati/Dayton congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.
