Category Archives: 1 Timothy

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Breaking News: Your Money Is Unreliable

Reflect:
I Timothy 6:3-21

“Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.” (I Timothy 6:17, NLT)

I suppose this is akin to closing the barn door after the cows got out, but God’s Word has been telling us all along about the uncertainly of wealth and the foolishness of obsessing over the amassing of a financial fortune. The crisis on Wall Street and the fear and loathing on Main Street that we are now reading about in the daily headlines were predictable, not only because of the greed and incompetence that led to it, but because the eternal Word of God said it would be so.

Obviously, the timing of this ongoing economic instability in the year of a national election gives Americans their best opportunity to put people into positions of power who are true public servants: people of integrity, wisdom, responsibility, foresight, courage, conviction, and selflessness. This is arguably our best chance in a long while to get government right—and we need to rise up as citizens and demand it!

However, the more important opportunity tucked away in these dangerous ecoomic currents is for believers to rethink their financial philosophy. My suspicion is that most of us—and I include myself—have gotten a little too cozy with the economics of a world system that is fundamentally corrupt and inexorably headed for divine judgment.

I want to challenge you to put your financial philosophy as well as your current economic practices through the filter of I Timothy 6, and see what kind of a grade you come away with. Re-read Paul’s advice to Timothy in light of this current mess; pay particular attention to what he has to say about money and our attitudes toward it. And most important, recalibrate your personal economic practices to come into line with God’s Word, which among other things, profoundly counsels of with this truth:

“True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.” (I Timothy 6:7)

We will get through this current financial mess—I have no doubts. It might be painful and long, who knows, but we will endure. But it will happen again—mark my word. So why not prepare for it by simply and ruthlessly living according to God’s precepts.

I am not an economist—by a long shot, but I will bet on God’s storehouse principles any day over the Treasury Secretary’s advice!

“The real measure of our wealth is how much we should be worth if we lost our money.” ~J. H. Jowett

Reflect and Apply: Our nation is experiencing a painful reminder that love of money is indeed at the root of all kinds of evil. Allow the tough economic times and the universal financial crisis to remind you of this indestructible financial principle: godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. Just like the coin in your pocket says, put all your trust, including your financial trust, in God.

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How To Behave In Church

Reflect:
I Timothy 3:1-16

“I am writing you these instructions so that…you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God.” (I Timothy 3:14-15)

One of the big differences I have noticed between my parents (they are now in their 70’s) and me (I am not in my 70’s) and the different generations we represent is our attitude toward authority. People of my parent’s generation seemed to quietly, willingly and obediently accept authority while people of my age and younger seem to automatically question authority. The rebelliousness of the 60’s marked that sea change from the respectfulness of the 50’s. Nothing captures this change better than the philosophy popularized by whacky 60’s psychologist Timothy Leary, who preached, “Think for yourself and question authority.”

Though sounding good on its face, in reality it has been taken to an extreme to where authority isn’t just questioned now, it is resented, and in many cases, rejected out of hand. For the most part, this attitude toward authority has had a deleterious effect in our society in general, and specifically it has had a corrosive effect in our homes, in our schools, and even in our churches.

We need to be very careful in our response toward all authority in our lives. I am certainly not promoting blind submission to anyone who is in charge. God has given you a brain, and you need to use it to “think for yourself.” Likewise, you have every right, and a God-given responsibility, to question the validity of anything that seems contrary to the values of the kingdom. Yet at the same time, you must recognize the divinely ordained role of the leaders whom God has placed in your life.

I would suggest that one of the best and first places to begin evaluating your attitude and response to leadership is in the church. Now since I am a pastor, this may sound somewhat self-serving, but the reality is, God is very concerned with peace, love and harmony in his family, the church. That is why letters like I and II Timothy were written. That is why God gave very clear instructions for church leadership roles, such as pastors, elders and deacons.

The church is a family, and like any family, there needs to be loving, wise, and honorable parents in order for the family to be healthy and happy. Likewise, there needs to be honor and respect from the children toward the authority of the parents. So it is in the household of God. Paul was very concerned that people understood God’s “code of conduct” for life in the family, and the role of the leaders was to ensure good and honorable behavior in the church.

I say all this to challenge you to review your attitude toward the leaders who serve you, especially in the church, the most important arena in which you live. I hope that you will look at your spiritual leaders in a different light from here on out. I hope that you will have a whole new appreciation for them. I hope that you will encourage them more often than you do now. I hope that you will pray more diligently for them, since they have a very difficult task on their plate. I hope that you will respond to their authority more respectfully and trustingly the next time there is a leadership initiative. And if you sense they are leading in a way that is incongruent with kingdom values, think it through, question them about it, but do it with honor and love. Here is how Hebrews 13:17 would say it:

“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Ask yourself this question: Am I a delight for my spiritual leaders to lead?

“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” ~John Stott

Reflect and Apply: Are you a delight for your spiritual leaders to lead? Are you an instrument of love, peace and harmony in your spiritual family? Do you conduct yourself in God’s household in a way that respects your leaders and honors your Father? If any of your answers are “no”, spend some time talking with God about that.