life

Fight the good fight

Paul says to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11b-12a, “Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Run your best in the race of faith… “

Paul sets a high standard for Timothy. He wants Timothy to “strive” to achieve some very difficult things. He wants him to run his best race. Paul wants Timothy to walk that life that is lived in grace, but not to take grace lightly. Rather, to take grace on board seriously, realising the depths of God’s forgiveness, and to live accordingly.

Indeed, earlier in the chapter Paul has reminded Timothy of the importance of the words of Jesus and before the end of the letter urges him to keep safe what has been entrusted to his care. The Gospel of Jesus Christ — his death that has purchased our freedom — his resurrection that guarantees our eternal hope.

May we not move from the foundation of Jesus—his death and resurrection. May we run the race before us as best we can. May we give our lives as living sacrifices to the one who creator, saviour, Lord and King.

To Him be the glory as we live lives with hearts that have been changed by Him.

– Dave

Adulthood

I have always struggled to feel like a grown up. All my life, whether I was 14, 24, 34 or 44, I have felt like a kid, albeit a large one!

I guess it is good to feel young at heart, but it has always troubled me as to what it was that caused me to feel like a kid. I have felt like an adult in certain situations, but I have always had an underlying feeling of not being an adult.

As I reflect now I realise that for much of my life I have not been acting like an adult. Not in the true sense of what it is to be a healthy, functioning, biblical adult.

I have decided in more recent times to start walking that fine line between taking ownership of my life (being an adult), and giving my life over to God (being His adult). I recognise that my life belongs to God, and yet I also recognise that he wants me to live it and take responsibility for what is mine.

In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul tells Timothy to not let anyone look down on him because he is young. Instead he is to be an example for believers in his speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. In everything, really!

May we all take responsibility of our lives, as followers of the one who has bought our lives at a great price!

– Dave

Live your life

One of the traps that we are all in danger of falling into is that of not living your own life.

Us humans have a nasty habit of looking at what other people have, and wanting it for ourselves. Sometimes we don’t even look at a real life and want it. Sometimes we spend hours reading books or watching movies because we covet a life that is a work of fiction.

Apparently us humans long to feel like we have a purpose and a meaning. To truly satisfy this longing, we need to bring the reality of who we are to the world, and we need to pursue our purpose in the world. If we don’t, then we have only robbed ourselves of who we need to be.

Micah 6:8 reminds us why we are here. We are to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. What Micah 6:8 does not tell us is what that is going to look like for each of us individually. It does, however, tell us what underlies meaning and purpose.

May we all walk in truth and grace with humility. May you learn how to do this in the way that God has placed on your heart, so together we can each play our own part in living as the people of God in our time and place.

– Dave

Personal leadership

Are you caught up with the task of personal management, or are you investing in personal leadership? This can be the difference between surviving and thriving. God does not want us to just manage what he has given us (though this is still important). God wants us to be creative, passionate, and productive with what he has given us.

We see this clearly in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). We are not to simply manage what we are given, but instead God wants us to step out of our comfort zone. He wants us to step into relationships and love. He wants us to step up to what is most important, and ultimately what we were designed for. His glory.

As the parable suggest, our view of God will influence how we do this (verses 24-25). To move forward in life; to be able to see when and where we can invest in others is to be in a place where we can give of ourselves. We need to be able to tap into a Heavenly Father who sows where he will not reap, who is not a hard task master, but one who offers a light load for those who follow him (Matthew 11:28-30).

May we all be moving from personal management to personal leadership today!

– Dave

Guardians of the Gospel

The Good News – that Jesus died so we might live has the power to turn our world right side up. Imagine — the creator of the universe (or multiverse!) gave everything he had for you. This is a powerful truth, which is why some people seek to distort it.

In Ephesus there are people who want to distort the Gospel. Paul calls them false teachers in his letter to Timothy (1 Tim 1:3). Paul wants Timothy to make sure there are a bunch of people (called elders) who know the true Gospel who will guard it.

So what criteria will be used to select these guardians of the true faith? Simple! They must be living a life that reflects a heart changed and motivated by the true Gospel (1 Timothy 3:1-13). Paul gives Timothy a list of behaviours that should reflect an inward change. This is not simply a list of things elders do, as they should be doing them before they are made elders. They are a list of proofs of a changed heart.

We know that elders guard the true faith, as this is what Paul asks the Elders at Ephesus to do (Acts 20:28-30).

May we all live lives that bear witness to the inner work of the one true Gospel in our hearts.

– Dave