Dishonesty, disasters and deceivers fill today’s headlines. Some people seem surprised.
But I agree with what I heard in worship service this Sunday. God already said that this would happen. So why should we be astonished?
Perhaps the real question should be: What does God’s family need to do in these situations? Indeed, that was the title of Sunday’s sermon: “What to Do When Times Are Tough.”
To find the answer, we examined a plethora of verses. Let’s take a look at some of them.
I Timothy 4 begins: “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.”
Sound familiar? Yes, and these troubling behaviors have been with us throughout history. We in 2025 certainly don’t hold the patent on such actions.
But, as the sermon title asks, what should we do in such times? Let’s isolate some of the verses that follow in I Timothy:
Verse 7: “Train yourself to be godly.” Ahhh, so we should live godly lives.
Verse 13: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” Ohhh, so we should learn the word of God and share it.
Verse 14: “Do not neglect your gift ….” Wow. So, we all have some sort of gift that God has given us that we should be exercising.
II Timothy 3 also speaks of 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.”
This list can literally give you the shudders. And, again, it does seem eerily familiar. But even in such times, God equips us. Let’s see what follows as to how to survive.
Verse 12 again mentions living a godly life. Hmmm. Remember the maxim: When God repeats something, it’s really important?
Other instructions follow in the next chapter. Timothy 4:2 charges us to “preach the word in season and out of season.” Verse 7 tells us to fight and finish, not to give up until the work is done. (“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”)
I Peter 3 also discusses the last days, scoffers, evil desires and even the end of the world. And guess what the Spirit led Peter to say in Verse 11? “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” Again: Live godly.
Verse 12 urges us to look for and be ready for the return of Christ – to be diligent in our faith practice.
Jesus’ brother Jude discusses the last times as well, in Verses 17-18: “There will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts.” But what should WE be doing at this time? “Praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”
So once more, the call is clear. Stay close to God through prayer and faithful love, even as the world grows more divided.
Finally, let’s always remember Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Another repetition – and with good reason.
The message is clear. Even when times are tough, God has not left us without direction. He calls us to live godly, to pray, to hold fast and, yes – to rejoice in him always. Like a refrain in a beloved hymn, that command repeats, assuring us that his presence and peace remain constant, whatever the future holds.
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Sallie Rose Hollis lives in Ruston and retired from Louisiana Tech as an associate professor of journalism and the assistant director of the News Bureau. She can be contacted at sallierose@mail.com.
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