Stay Away from People Like That

2 Timothy 3:1-6 (NLT)

“1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 6 They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires.”

Have you ever been in a relationship that turned out to be a huge mistake? I have had some doozies, and that’s not an easy thing to admit. I don’t want to put anyone in a negative light, but the truth is that when you’re with the wrong person for your life, there’s a big chance that you’ll bring out the worst in them and they’ll bring out the worst in you. In the beginning, things might seem great, but as a relationship becomes more comfortable, there are usually warning signs all over the place, at least there were for me. Growing up, my mother had schooled me with sage wisdom and sound advice, so I really had no excuse. I just didn’t want to listen. “This one will be different. My love will cause him to change.” I’d say. I was only fooling myself.

In my early twenties, my mother and I would have lots of conversations about the signs to look out for when dating. “Stay away from men that want to spend all their time with you…”, she’d say. When I first heard this, I thought it was the opposite of what a woman should do. Every woman should want someone that is attentive and loyal, and it’s wonderful when a man appreciates spending time with you because they enjoy your company. So, I was skeptical about this piece of advice, and didn’t give it much weight. As I matured and went through some bumps in the road, I began to understand the wisdom behind my mother’s warning.

She wanted my eyes to be open about men that only wanted to spend all their time with me because they hadn’t put in the work to build a good life for themselves. They were more interested in taking than sharing. Through the Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 3:10(NKJV), God said, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” Our Heavenly Father is teaching us about the level of responsibility and accountability He expects from a man. It’s clear from His Word that work is an extremely important aspect of life, and so is the consistency of character that is demonstrated in a person’s ability to maintain a job.

In 2 Timothy 3:6, God warns about people who are deceptive and manipulative. They are masters of pretending to be something they are not, and sadly, many of us have been vulnerable to their schemes. We’ve given our hearts to the wrong man only to be taken advantage of. Sometimes his motive for trying to occupy most of our time is control. This will often catch us by surprise because he might not appear to be controlling initially, but ultimately shows his true colors by wanting to know every move of the person in his life. It seems loving and caring at first, but we need to be very careful and not ignore these red flags.

Psalm 119:1-3(NLT) declares, “1 Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. 2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. 3 They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.” My mother taught me to open my eyes to everything when I meet someone new. It took me a while to recognize this wisdom, and I learned many things the hard way, but I am now very observant. I understand that just because a man is attractive, articulate, and charming, and things go well in the beginning, it doesn’t mean that he will be a blessing to your life. It’s sad, but some people are manipulative, shady, and only out for what they can get. We need to stay away from people like that and run in the opposite direction, because they will not be a blessing to our lives. Walk in the Spirit and listen to God when it comes to dating and letting a man into your heart. He will let you know if the guy is really who he says it is.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

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