Show Respect With Your Words

1 Timothy 5:1-2 -  Never speak sharply to an older man, but plead with him respectfully just as though he were your own father. Talk to the younger men as you would to much-loved brothers.  Treat the older women as mothers, and the girls as your sisters, thinking only pure thoughts about them.

Paul took the time to remind Timothy that it was very important to treat all people with respect.  Aged or young …man or woman…everyone was to be considered as a part of a much-loved family.  All people deserve the very gentlest and kind words we can find in our Christ controlled heart.

Hard words to follow in our world of broken families…abused children… and violently raised people….especially if we lose sight of the power of Christ to control every word we say. It’s hard to respect someone who took drugs or drank during their pregnancy…knowing the damage it would do to their child. It’s hard to listen to the harsh conversations of some families in pubic stores.  I have shaken my head and whispered more prayers than I can count when I encounter some of these situations that I know I have no control over…and no business involving myself in that moment.

I know from experience that when we engage in the dialogue…and use the same harsh words that are thrown at us…it teaches those around us the opposite of Christ’s love. I know the damage I did to my children when they would listen to some of the word fights I would have with my first husband.  Nobody won those fights…except satan.  He succeeded in separating me just far enough from Christ that I never looked to Him to help me control my words. The end result was another divorce statistic…another damaged family that would search a long time for enough answers to learn to forgive and move past the pain it caused all of us. 

It is Christ that has taught me to control my first impulse to shout back …or judge those around me. It has taken seeing the pain it causes personally to teach me to let God control my tongue…to help me form loving words that kindly point out an issue….without degrading the person I need to confront. It is never okay to degrade….ridicule….or correct someone with harsh words…no matter what wrong we feel they have committed.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you should always be in control of my words. Forgive me for the times that I let anger….bitterness…or injustice trick me into using harsh words that tore down the situation even more.  Help me to always stop and whisper a prayer to you that helps me know how to handle each situation you allow to cross my path…so that I  will always show resect…and  model your love and mercy to others. Amen.

Put Your Abilities To Work For God

1 Timothy 4:14-16 -    Be sure to use the abilities God has given you through his prophets when the elders of the church laid their hands upon your head.  Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress.  Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.

Paul reminded Timothy that he had been given a special charge to use the abilities that God had nurtured in him.  Timothy had the great honor to be raised by a Godly mother and grandmother….who taught him all they could about the Bible.  God made sure this foundation was noticed by Paul…who saw the potential this young man had to preach and teach.

We have all been given special abilities to use for Christ. Go back to Romans 12 and read the many verses there that describe just a few of the special gifts God gives everyone that believes in his name. Some of us are given more than one. All of these gifts have the same purpose….to enhance and teach the gospel of Christ…to help us exercise the spirit within us so it will be strong enough to fight the evil of the world.

Paul makes a great point in this chapter.  Our gifts need to be used to grow and be the best they can be. Just looking at a piece of equipment meant for toning our physical body reaps a pretty picture in our head.  It does nothing till we engage our body in the machine and use it to tone the part of the body it was meant for. Looking at our Bible….or just reading a passage…does nothing to embed it into our heart. The verse or truth has to be applied in some way to our life to become rooted in our heart and soul.

I admit that it is very hard to be completely honest in our estimate of our gifts.  Satan will fight us even discovering them….then will try to convince you that you are not good enough to use them for anything.  Paul was reminding Timothy….and God used this letter to remind us…that He is in control of every gift He gave us…He has a plan to use it to help His kingdom grow…to give Him glory. He does not want us to be afraid to sing the first note in a choir… teach the first lesson in a Sunday School class… or write the first word in a devotional. God lays His hands on each of us and empowers us with everything we need to use His gift to the fullest.  All we do in letting them sit idle is waste God’s power.

Sure…there will always be people that have the same gift…and they may be better at it than you. It isn’t about the amount of the gift you have been given…it is about how you use the gift He gave you. Excuses only make satan smile in victory. A weak attempt to use what God gave you is better than no attempt at all.

Father…thank you forte reminder that you have given me gifts to help you spread the gospel.  Forgive me for the times that I over or underestimate the power of what you have given me.  Help me to reflect honestly on the gifts you have given me and find ways to develop them to the fullest….so that you can use me to increase the kingdom of God.   Amen.

In What Ways Are You A Leader?

1 Timothy 3:16 -  It is quite true that the way to live a godly life is not an easy matter. But the answer lies in Christ, who came to earth as a man, was proved spotless and pure in his Spirit, was served by angels, was preached among the nations, was accepted by men everywhere, and was received up again to his glory in heaven.

Pauls’ directive to Timothy was to remind those that want to be leaders of the high standards they must strive for. Leaders must live Godly lives…which Paul admits is no easy task…unless you depend on Christ for the strength to be more than our human spirit is capable of.

I first thought that these verses had nothing to offer me...a retired teacher. I am definitely not a preacher…or a deacon…or the wife of either. But as a reflected on the daily things God has called me to...there is an element of leadership in all that I do each day. The devotionals he has called me to do reach further than I ever imagined.  The children that I work with…even as a sub…are a ministry in itself. Being a mom and grandmother is definitely an area where leadership is required.

I am called in each of these areas just as Timothy was….to be held to the high standards that God asks of each one that believes in him. It is no easy matter...especially if we try to go without the guidance of the Holy Spirit and do things our own way. It takes a conscious effort to stay connected to God through prayer….Bible study….and fellowship with other believers. It takes the highest form of self-discipline to turn your day over to God….and let Him lead you where he needs you to be. I needed the reminder that I am held to the same standards that Paul gave to Timothy for preachers…deacons…and the wives of each.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am a leader to others in so many ways. Forgive me for the times that I try to lessen the importance of the roles you have placed me in.  Help me to hold myself to the highest of standards…so that any job you give me to do will be effective and totally controlled by the Spirit of God that you placed within me.  Amen. 

God's Definition Of Beauty

1 Timothy 2:8-11 -  So I want men everywhere to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from sin and anger and resentment.  And the women should be the same way, quiet and sensible in manner and clothing. Christian women should be noticed for being kind and good, not for the way they fix their hair or because of their jewels or fancy clothes.  Women should listen and learn quietly and humbly.

Paul continually reminds us that our focus is to be on God…not the world.  That means that if our focus is truly on God…then our focus is also off ourselves. The message here is simple….pray… and have a quiet sensible personality that focuses more on the inner being that drives our servant heart…than the outside of the temporary vessel God put us in to help him complete his plan for the world.

There are over 100 verses in the Bible that warn us of the difficulties vanity piles onto a pure heart.  But the marketing world spends billions a year on ads that make a woman feel like they should spend many hours of time and product enhancing the simple structure God created us with.  Some religions ban such products completely from their member’s lives…others go overboard with the “look your best” comments trying to convince that even jeans are unacceptable in a worship venue. The result of both teachings turns more people away from God than toward his love.

Paul is talking here about the need to be content in who we are….all of the paleness without makeup…the scraggly hair without a speck of product….or the t-shirt and jeans versions most would find you in if you did not have to go out of your homes during the day. I am guilty….as usual...of thinking I have to put on makeup….have just the right cut for my face shape…and the newest outfit from the fashion store…. but God cares nothing about any of that. 1 Samuel 16:7 says it best for me.  … ^“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by a man’s face or height, for this is not the one. I don’t make decisions the way you do! Men judge by outward appearance, but I look at a man’s thoughts and intentions.”

I remember a discussion with my sister one Thanksgiving. She wisely reminded me when I tried to give her a picture of me that had been made after painstakingly being dolled up by professionals…which I was so proud of because it…was the best picture of me I had ever owned…that the woman in that photo wasn’t really her sister. She knew the real me….and knew that on a daily basis I did not look that glamourous….not even close. I was not hurt at all by her comment…but reminded gently that the real me had way more to do with my heart that the way my outside looked.

Father…thank you for reminder that my focus should be on making my heart as kind and gentle as I can.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the world trick me into thinking that I am better when made up to look more glamourous… or dressed more in the current fashion. Help me to always remember that you care more about my heart than my looks…so I can be more content with who I am and ignore the world’s standard of beauty.  Amen.

Do You Use the Conscious God Gave You?

1 Timothy 1:18-19 -  Now, Timothy, my son, here is my command to you: Fight well in the Lord’s battles, just as the Lord told us through his prophets that you would.  Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right. For some people have disobeyed their consciences and have deliberately done what they knew was wrong. It isn’t surprising that soon they lost their faith in Christ after defying God like that.

Paul wrote this letter to his great student Timothy…but it is a great letter for all students of Christ to read and learn from.  Timothy was raised in God’s word from birth…and had a strong faith and conscious from the teachings of his mother and grandmother. Paul saw the potential Timothy had to be a great preacher…to continue the great work God had called Paul to do when it was his time to leave the earth.

We are all given this curious thing called a conscious when we come to know Christ.  It isn’t a visible floatation on our shoulders as some commercials and television shows depict...it is as Paul calls it…an inner tugging of our hearts…when we begin to involve ourselves in something not of the scriptures. In essence….it is the embodiment of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  If it is contrary to God’s will…the Holy Spirit brings that conscious to the forefront of our minds to warn us we are about to go into dangerous activities.

My conscious is very active in my life.  He warns me of possible dangers in things like … spending too much money on things….watching too much TV…. spending too many hours alone with no fellowship.  The Holy Spirit reminds me to pick up my Bible each night and read so I can learn of some new sin that needs to be refined out of my life.  The Holy Spirit wakes me in the night and prompts me to pray for a need or person on my mind.  The complete list of things I have felt prompted to do would take days to put down on paper.

I will testify that the times I have ignored any of these promptings…or completely rebelled in the spirit of Jonah…things have not gone well for me….or the people I hurt deeply because of my sin.  I could write a book on just those decisions. It has taken a confession of sorts to the other people my decision has hurt to wash that feeling of guilt out of my heart.  I have thanked God multiple times for the opportunity to set my mistakes aright…and give Him the glory for the good that has come of my confessions in the end. 

My Life Application Bible made one other point that I think is very good.  Constantly ignoring or rebelling against that conscious without letting it convict you of righting that wrong decision will eventually harden you heart.  I will make a strong statement here … not worrying about anyone I might offend…. The hardened heart of one who ignores their conscious is the root of all convictions that accept homosexuality…..abortion… adultery … indebtedness … or any other action that is explicitly listed in the Bible as sin. I admit that it is hard to separate the sin from the sinner …. but continuing to show these sinners love and grace is the only way to help God cleanse the false teaching from their hardened heart.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave us the Holy Spirit to act as our conscious.  Forgive me for the times that I have ignored it…or completely rebelled against it. Bless the people that I have hurt with my bad decisions…and help me to right the wrong I did to them and to myself by not following the promptings of the right heart you put inside me when I was saved.  Give me added strength and faith to listen and do all that the Spirit prompts me in the days that I have left on the earth.  Amen.

Deliver Us From Evil

2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 -  Pray, too, that we will be saved out of the clutches of evil men, for not everyone loves the Lord.  But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from satanic attacks of every kind.

Paul ended his letter to these Thessalonica Christians with one last prayer. He asked for their prayers to spread the gospel quickly so more and more people would come to know Christ.  Then he added a request to pray that God protect him from the evil clutches of all men who fought daily this testimony.

Evil has become such a normal part of the world we live in…we would all do well to pray that God protect any Christian from the clutches of this evil.  Satan is real…his power is real….and it grows in strength every day that Christ chooses to let him reign temporarily here on earth. It is a serious threat that we need to take more seriously.

But those of us that know Christ need not fear satan and his followers…even though they are many.  Paul tells us our protection from him is only a request away. The psalmist gave us the directive long ago in the 23^rd psalm when he wrote…. “I will fear no evil…for God is with me.”   And Jesus himself included the words… “deliver us from evil,” in the model of prayer He gave us in Matthew 6.

I needed the reminder to remember to add this request to all my prayers. I take for granted the sweet peace I feel around me most days. There are many Christians around the world that battle satan’s forces every day. They need all the strength and protection they can get…and I shudder to think of the time when I will need it myself.

Father...thank you for the reminder to call on you for protection and strength to fight the evil you have allowed temporarily to reign on the earth. Forgive me for the times that I have taken for granted the peace that seems to be in my corner of the world.  Help me to remember to pray for other’s protection and strength against the dark forces that cause so much pain and suffering in the world.  Ready me for any battles that I might face in the future…so that I can stand strong and firm against any evil that satan throws my way.  Amen.

Ready My Heart For The hardest Test

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 -   With all these things in mind, dear brothers, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the truth that we taught you in our letters and during the time we were with you.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and hope, which we don’t deserve,  comfort your hearts with all comfort, and help you in every good thing you say and do.

Paul reminds these new Christians that the end will come and evil will be allowed one last surge of power before Christ returns. He wants them to cling to the truth that God will protect them from this evil…even if they are thrown into the midst of it …if they stand firm on the truth of God’s promise.

I think of Daniel in that lion’s den overnight…and those 3 great friends of his that were thrown into a fiery furnace for their refusal to back down from believing in the one true God.  If God can shut the mouth of a wild lion…and put a hedge of flame retardant around those boys in the furnace…God will keep his promise to gather all of us together who refuse to bend to the evil of that day.

The world is pretty evil right now…it is unthinkable to my heart that it will get worse….but I know it will.  No one will be protected from it unless they have a firm grip on faith….and a belief in God that cannot be shaken.  We must be ready for anything….to die if need be for our beliefs….thanking God for the opportunity to serve Him as we take our last breath on earth.

I am guilty of taking for granted the peace that I have in my small corner of the world.  I read about horrific acts in other places…but evil has not consumed my sweet town as of yet. It is all around me…even touching some I know through missions and internet contacts. I have to face the fact that I am probably not strong enough….and need to pray for strength if I am ever gonna face real evil and keep my beliefs intact.

Father…thank you for the reminder of your promise to comfort and strengthen all who call on your name in great times of persecution. Forgive me for taking for granted the peace in my corner of the world. Help me remember to pray for those that are persecuted every day…and ask you to ready my heart for the hardest test …still to come.  Amen.