Dangerous Times
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!For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)
Note how many of these last days traits lean towards narcissism.Self-gratification,self-needs,self-success,self-love yet seemingly with a form of godliness mingled in but denying the power.Paul,I believe is speaking about Christians here.Believers have the power within but are denying it.The world system has always been this way,but in the last days it seems from this passage it will become more rampant among Christians,thus it will for sure become more rampant in the lost world. Something in the last days is going to be feeding this narcissist life style and especially among believers.Internet technology and social networks is certainly directed towards gratification of self.Social networks are for sure a way to display ourselves to the world.We can be on display and on stage from our little corner of the world. Not only can the internet and social networks be a way to gratify self,the networks will pander to our wants and needs and that is profitable for them.We let our desires become public and we are targeted with advertisements that feed our self-desires and needs.They can even pre-determine the information we might want to see.In a real sense we are being controlled by a technology that is tuned to gratify self and we can grow to love that and give up privacy in return.We can become in bondage to self and at the same time convince ourselves that this technology gives us freedom.We become in bondage to technology and in a real sense can actually put faith in it. Self is the real problem for us believers.Paul certainly reveals to us the problem with self when he shows us what real love is in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
This is just the opposite of the last days traits of narcissism don't you think?It looks to me like the world is headed towards the worship of the most narcissist person this world has ever seen and it looks like technology is preparing people that are in love with themselves to fall for his deception. Yes we believers can use technology and I believe we should,but I believe we need to be very careful and aware of it's control and its catering to self-gratification. We have a Savior that knows all our cares and needs and He wants to have a fellowship with us that this world system with it's high technology can never supply.Technology can be a very cheap substitute for that kind of relationship.Philippians 4:8 seems to sum up what our attitude and mind should be directed toward.
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthymeditate on these things." |