Verse of the Day 1/20

Verse of the Day 1/20

1 Timothy 6:11-12 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. New King James Version (NKJV)

Our nation's Declaration of Indepenedence stated that we are all born with certain "unalienable rights"; among them are "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". In today's modern society that pursuit of happiness has morphed into a desire to be rich, thinking that if we were rich, that we would then be happy. Unfortunately, that thinking ends up leading to the rat race, a race which nobody wins and a life of striving after things that keep us so busy that we end up just trying to make it through the day.

Paul reminds Timothy that as a Christ follower, He is God's man (TPT translation below). A Christ follower should have other priorities, other pursuits to occupy his time, beginning with "righteousness" - being in a right standing before God. Such a person will be more focused on faith, love, patience and gentleness and all of the "fruit of the Spirit" mentioned in Galatians 5:22-24.

We need to be reminded that there is "more to this life" than chasing after schemes to get rich and just trying to make it through the day. I'm reminded of the Steven Curtis Chapmans Song "More to This Life", I've pasted some of the lyrics below.

Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.

He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.

But there's more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there's more than this life alone can be.

May we realize that there is more to this life and pursue the "fruit of the Spirit".

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit[a] produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:

joy that overflows,
peace that subdues,
patience that endures,
kindness in action,
a life full of virtue,
faith that prevails,
gentleness of heart, and
strength of spirit.
Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless
The Passion Translation (TPT)

Blessings,

Mike

1 Timothy 6:11-19 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Paul's Final Exhortation to Timothy
11 Timothy, you are God's man, so run from all these errors. Instead, chase after true holiness, justice, faithfulness, love, hope,[a] and tender humility. 12 So fight with faith for the winner's prize! Lay your hands upon eternal life, for this is your calling—celebrating in faith before the multitude of witnesses![b]

13 So now, I instruct you before the God of resurrection life[c] and before Jesus, the Anointed One, who demonstrated a beautiful testimony even before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you follow this commission faithfully with a clear conscience[d] and without blemish until the appearing of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

15 Yes, God will make his appearing in his own divine timing,[e] for he is the exalted God, the only powerful One, the King over every king, and the Lord of power! 16 He alone is the immortal God,[f] living in the unapproachable light of divine glory! No one has ever seen his fullness, nor can they, for all the glory and endless authority of the universe belongs to him, forever and ever. Amen!

17 To all the rich of this world, I command you not to be wrapped in thoughts of pride over your prosperity, or rely on your wealth, for your riches are unreliable and nothing compared to the living God. Trust instead in the one who has lavished upon us all good things, fulfilling our every need.[g]

18 Remind the wealthy to be rich in good works of extravagant generosity, willing to share with others. 19 This will provide a beautiful foundation for their lives and secure for them a great future, as they lay their hands upon the meaning of true life.