THE VALUE OF GODLINESS: I Timothy 6:11

You can pursue a lot of things in life. We all want the best for our families, especially our children. My daughter just completed a class at our church and at the end there was a nice ceremony where the girls all dressed up and the fathers sort of blessed them publicly. My wife and my daughter took a bit of time finding the right dress for the occasion and she (of course) looked beautiful. But, it is not the dress that I value. Rather, it is the looked in her eyes, welling up with tears, as I spoke about the woman of God I see her becoming, that I treasure. 

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." I Timothy 6:11

You can pursue money or things that cost a lot of money, but that does not produce the godly contentment that Paul encourages Timothy, and us, to seek. What does hold value is the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Striving to be righteous and godly in our actions, acting in faith shone in love, enduring trials and responding with gentleness, this is the pursuit that produces the riches of godly contentment. 

Father, help us to seek to please you and by faith to live content knowing you will supply us our every need in Christ Jesus. Praise be to you in us today!

Thank you for deliverance / Psalm 37:40

"The LORD helps them and delivers them;
     he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,  
 because they take refuge in him." Psalm 37:40

Thank you, Lord, that you help me and deliver me from those who seek to harm me. Thank you for delivering me from sin by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I take refuge in you and look for your deliverance. Praise be to you in me today!

A-TYPE CONTENTMENT: I Timothy 6:6

I would have to say that contentment is not easy for me. I have kind of an A-type personality so, I am a bit restless. But, I think the Apostle Paul was an extremely driven person. Maybe it was during the time he spent in prison, unable to go to all the churches he was deeply concerned for, where he learned the value of resting in the truth that God is Sovereign.  

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."                  I Timothy 6:6

Godliness with contentment is knowing you are where God wants you to be and what you have is what you need. If you need to be someplace else, God can move you. If you need something else, God can provide it. 

Just a few questions to ponder: 

Where are you now? 

What is it you need? 

If you are where God wants you to be, what is it he wants you to be doing? 

Father, show us yourself where we are, in what we are doing today. Praise be to you in us today!

WORK HARD FOR WHO? / I Timothy 6:1-2

I have worked for and under a lot of different people, some who were Christians and some who were not. My witness is all about my visable respect for them, whether they are saved or not.

"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them." I Timothy 6:1-2 

Of course Paul was teaching about actual slaves and we are not slaves. But, the principle of matter still holds. Work as unto the Lord. Do the best you can. Whatever you do you do as a representative of Christ. 

I once was a food server at a Mimi's Cafe. There was this one man and his son who would come in after church on Sunday nights. He would have coffee and maybe a dessert. He would leave maybe $0.50 and a tract for a tip. And he was a bit rude, too. Of course all the food servers thought he was a jerk for stiffing them on the tip and then leaving a tract. They would always complain to me because they knew I was a Christian. Finally, I told the guy that if he wanted any of the food servers to read the tract he needed to leave a bigger tip. 

Here's the deal: If you are a Christian you represent Christ. What will you be remembered for being? Will your integrity and honesty  be the impression you leave? 

Father, help us to work hard, even as working for you. Praise be to you in us today!

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SUPPORT/ I Timothy 5:22

"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." I Timothy 5:22 

I think these are pretty stiff words of advice. Don't just jump on any bandwagon of support. Don't rush people into leadership. I have seen many a good person put into leadership before they were ready soon encountered circumstances they were not spiritually mature enough to deal with and down they went. Not always trapped by sin. Sometimes they just caught up in a teaching that wasn't quite right. In my mind the leadership that put them there shared the guilt because they were too quick to call them pastor and send them out to sink or swim.  

Be careful who you align yourself with. If they are caught in sin, you may end up with them. I have been asked many a time to go places with people and I knew that it was not right. Every time I am glad I say no. Keep yourself pure.

Father, help us to be wise in our support and strengthen us to remain pure in you. Praise be to you in us today!

WHO DESERVES HONOR?/ I Timothy 5:17

As a teacher I see it all the time. Students who have no respect for anyone. Then I meet their parents and it is apparent why. The idea of teaching your children to honor and respect their elders is long gone from our society. In a real sense I believe that much of the current generation does not know what an honorable person is, does and looks like. So, it is easy for them to be misled by someone with a strong personality. In all of life, including the church, it is very important to know who to honor as a leader.

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." I Timothy 5:17

In the church it should be pretty easy to tell who the leaders are. Who is serving, preaching and teaching? Notice that Paul goes beyond simply serving and says, "direct the affairs of the church well". He emphasizes that some minister "well". Who should be honored in the church? Those who serve well. 

What does this tell me? It tells me that I need to be an honorable man by serving well, not just serving to say I did it, but, serving well. It also encourages me to do all things well, as unto the Lord. As I go to work today, I need to bring honor to God by doing the tasks set before me well. 

So, I encourage you  to honor those who serve well in your church and also to serve well yourself, in all your life.

Father, help us to serve well in all we do and bring honor and praise to you today! Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS: I Timothy 5:1-2

When I first started teaching I was single and my approach and perspective toward my students was sort of as an older brother. After I got married and had children my point of view changed. I began to see them through the eyes of a parent. Now, part of my philosophy as an educator is that I try to treat each student like I would like my children to be treated. As a Christian and a leader Paul gave these words of direction to Timothy and they still hold good for us today.

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."        I Timothy 5:1-2

Paul's basic message is to treat each other like family, like a godly family, because we are the family of God. If something needs to be said, say it, but say it with respect and love. I have been in several situations as an administrator where I needed to "correct" someone. Delivery is everything. Sometimes teachers had much more experience than I did, but, they still needed "guidance". I tried my best to be respectful yet truthful. I even wrote up one of our long time security guards once. I did not do it with anger and gave him opportunities to do what was being asked by the district mandate. Just recently our school got a new principal (I recommend him and think he was a great choice). The security guard came up and said he wished I was the principal. 

So, I encourage you to treat others, no matter who they may be, in a godly manner. God will bless that and use you. 

Father, help us to treat others with love because you first loved us. Praise be to you in us today!