But As for You, Man of God, Shun All This, 1 Tim. 6

The opening verses of this chapter in Paul’s First Letter to Timothy (vs. 3-10), speak about the realities of the world we live in and the very recognizable temptations that we commonly encounter, which tend to block our path to God. Paul counsels Timothy to teach the right duties to his flock and warns him about those who disagree with the “sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 3). He explains the prideful character traits of those who disagree with Jesus’ godly teachings and the consequences of their behaviors, all of which are more than familiar to us in our own time. They are all dark realities: “conceit, morbid cravings for controversy and for disputes about words, envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind, bereft of the truth, imagining godliness as a means of gain” (vs 4-5). All of this is good advice for us, for it can make us aware of what to avoid in our own pilgrim-paths to the Kingdom of God.

The next verses tell us of a very different path to take, and how we should respond with our own lives, what decisions, habits, and attitudes we can adopt in order to live our lives in accord with the teaching of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Attitude is everything. The inner attitudes we develop, along with the grace of God, can lead us to the peace and the contentment that our hearts most sincerely and naturally desire. What are those godly attitudes that Paul offers to Timothy and to us? He says, “But as for you, man of God, shun all of this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness” (v. 11).

How are we to do this? Paul gives us direction here, too. “Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession (your baptism) in the presence of many witnesses” (v. 12). Paul, from his own experience, understands that the struggle to live life in the manner that Jesus commands us to live is a battle against great odds. This battle requires the kind of courage, commitment, and integrity that a soldier must bring into battle. Why? Because we are opposed in this fight by very powerful forces that wish to take us away from God, from the truth of God. Paul gives us clear insights into the attitudes we must develop to avoid being conquered by the ways of the world. We are to fight that battle with the virtues of “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

The attitude of ‘righteousness’ is the quality of being morally upright, just, conforming to the moral integrity and ethical principles of the Gospel, the teachings of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. How can we know these moral and ethical principles if we do not make a habit of reading and praying over the scriptures, contemplating their wisdom? We can also study the sound writings of those who have gone before us, who have lived Christ-like lives with their own words and deeds. How do we deepen our devotion to the word and the truth of the Gospels, and the virtue of faith? By developing the daily habit of prayer, by keeping faithful to our Sabbath duties, praying in community.

Our capacity for love is deepened through the practices of love: patience, kindness, humility, forgiveness, service, listening with compassion, making an effort to be fully present to one another, and by our growing desire to protect and promote the well-being of others. These are the attitudes that represent the “confession we made before many witnesses” in our baptism. These are the attitudes and practices that make for a growing, thriving, and active life in Jesus Christ. These are the attitudes and practices of godliness. These are the attitudes and practices that can truly make ourselves and the world better. Can we see, then, why we must have the courage of a soldier in battle to live the Christ life in this present world?

Let us, then, take Paul’s exhortation to heart. Let us avoid the pursuit of all of the variations of selfish attitudes that separate us from God and one another and, instead, let us put all of our energy into pursuing the attitudes, choices, and actions that place us in accord with the values, virtues, and attitudes that are consistent with the teachings and the modelling of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we truly desire to live better lives for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for the world, these virtues are the surest means to achieve that holy desire.