OPPORTUNITIES TO ENDURE: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2

When I first gave my life to Christ I felt such a dramatic turn around within myself I kind of thought that if God continued to work as much as he did that first few years, that in about five or so he would have to take me home. I was young. I obviously didn't really get the depths at which God can work in our lives. I eventually realized that God had a lot to work on within me and following Christ was going to involve some patient endurance. 

I attend a men's study on Wednesday mornings. A friend shared that a battle he was having was his marriage was in shambles. You know, there has been times when I felt the same way. We made it through, but it really was a struggle for a while even though I believe we were both trying to seek God. Patient endurance can only be learned by going through something that requires patient endurance. My only hope was that somehow God would reign where I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually a light came into view. The only thing I could do was trust God and try to love my wife like Christ loved me, even though I apparently wasn't doing to that too well. 

The bottom line is that Christ patiently deals with me with his enduring love. And I am to love others with that same patient endurance. Life will present us with opportunities, we just trust God and try to love others like Christ loves us.

Father, help us to keep our faith fixed on you. Open our eyes to see your love in our lives. Help us to love as you have loved us. Praise be to you in us today!

ACTIONS ARE THE GAUGE OF LOVE: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." 
Titus 2:2

The soundness of my love can be gauged by my actions. That is the only way I know how to honestly assess it. Some might say that it's the thought that counts, but, I guarantee my wife doesn't care if I say I love her but my attention is elsewhere. 

There are two kinds of people: Here I am people and there you are people. Christ came into this world, God incarnate, to serve. He did not come to earth and tour to adoring crowds. He came and healed people, sought out sinners to bring them back to God, and died in our place, for our sins upon the cross. If I get that truth, I have to love in action, not in feeling. I think in some respects everyone is a here I am person. We have to feed ourselves, take care of ourselves, provide for ourselves. But, as a Christian, I learn to die to myself and put others first, to be a there you are person.

Yesterday at work a friend was telling me how concerned about his daughter he was. She had been sick and was home with his wife. He said he just wanted to be there, not at work. It is the last week of classes with our students so there is a lot of work to be done to close out the school year, but he just wants to make sure his daughter is all right. You know, sometimes having children teaches you to die to yourself.  

To be sound in love is to love as Christ loved us. It's not about, "Here I am, Lord, love me!" It is about thanking God for his love and loving others because he first loved us. 

Lord, open our eyes to see the opportunities you place before us today to love others in your name. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for loving us first. Praise be to you in us today!

FOUND TO BE SOUND: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2

I have been blessed that I have been in church ever since I can remember. Good, solid churches that believed in the Bible as the inerrant, inspired Word of God. Every now and then I will hear someone say something about God or the Bible and it just won't "sound" right. Sometimes I will have to check myself and make sure I am acting according to the truth found in the Bible. I attend a men's study (actually, I will go this morning). I need all the help I can get. It isn't just that I try to read my Bible on a daily basis, I try to do what it says. I am far from perfect, but, I must constantly realign myself with God. 

I am married and I have four children. I grew up in a family where no one ever felt the need to not tell you were wrong. I know that I am a sinner. My soundness as a Christian is wrapped in my faith in Christ. My soundness, your soundness is found in his grace, mercy and faithfulness.

Father, help us to be sound in our faith. Thank you for your grace, mercy and faithfulness. Praise be to you in us today!

SELF-CONTROL, YES YOU CAN: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2

Society tells people and men in particular that they have very little control over their most base instincts. People are animals. Men are dogs. Some desires are just products of the evolutionary process that allows us to survive as a species. The problem for me is that is not what the Bible, God's Word teaches. 

Everyone, men and women, have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are all born in sin. We all have a sinful nature.  We all need the grace of God. 

Paul instructs Titus of the grace of God that brings salvation and that it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled lives (Titus 2:11-14). This is in complete contrast to the message of the world, which is a lie and will only lead to death. 

The bottom line: If God tells me to be self-controlled, I can control myself. I can control myself when I am living by faith in Christ Jesus who died for my sins and ever lives to intercede for me. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Father, teaches us to live by faith and be self-controlled, resting in the love of Christ! Praise be to you in us today!

CONTROL YOUR INTAKE: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2

I find it interesting that the list for older men is longer than the list for younger men (see verse 6). Maybe that is because older men set the example for younger men to follow. 

The first characteristic  that I as a man should seek is to be temperate. In the Greek it is a word that can be translated sober. I take it to mean that I need to govern my intake. Whatever that might be I need to be vigilant as to its role in my life. 

Of course when you say sober you think of alcohol. I am going to say this as I  see it. I have seen people who "don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance and don't run with those who do" act in some very ungodly ways. I have see people who do all the above act in some very Christlike, gracious and giving ways. The issue is who controls your heart and mind. If alcohol, drugs, pornagraphy or something else controls you, that is your master. If the love of Christ controls and compels you, Christ is your Savior and Lord. 

In reality it is a simple issue. Does it control you? I mean does it move you to decide? When I am making the basic decisions of my day is the desire for something else distracting me from choosing wisely? I need to be in control of what I let influence me.

To be temperate, or sober is to have a clear head when living your daily life. 

Father, help us to be temperate and let you control our thinking. Help us to look to you as we live our daily lives in this world but not of this world. Praise be to you in us today!