Friday Reading: Titus 2 9-10

Key Verse: Titus 2 9
9  Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

Devotion:
As Christians we are taught that we should only serve one master and that is God; but we must never put aside the fact that we do live here on earth and that we have people in charge of us or even people that we are in charge of. If we were to act like the ancient Greeks who had many gods then which one would we obey when they all started demanding things of us? Just the same in life we have a chain of command and we should be subject to that chain of command. If we were to go and obey someone else instead of the person that is in charge of us then we may well be causing chaos rather than getting done what should be done.

Again if we start arguing with the people in charge then we are not working with them but working against them. We do not always know what is going on in the background so we do not always know what the best course of action is. We do have to put our trust in others at times even when we think things should be done in other ways. If we are concerned about actions then we should be able to voice those concerns, but disobeying or taking our own actions is not the best course.

God does not want us to live in chaos or disobedience but rather to be subject to those in power so that we can live together in peace. How else are we to try and spread God’s Word if we are fighting with others all the time instead of being at peace with them? They are not likely to listen to what we have to say if all we can do is argue with them!

It is a very sad state that the world is in because the news seems to be full of bad news. Whether it is someone else embezzling, breaking the law, doing horrible things to others or generally being offensive to all, these are often the people that have been given positions of authority! What we do need to remember is that God has allowed these people positions for a reason. If that reason is so that the rest of the world will sit up and take notice of how evil things have become, then we are not to take that away from God; but we can still be a good example and a solid example for others to look to. We need to show that God is trustworthy and solid as a rock; we can do that by actually obeys others in Christ’s name.

Points to Ponder:
Do you cause chaos?

Did God create a chaotic society or a perfect society?

Thursday Reading: Titus 2 6-8

Key Verse: Titus 2 6
6  Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

Devotion:
Part of growing up is that we learn to live right, or should be! If we want to be able to live right then we have to learn that from an early age before we pick up bad habits from all the temptations that surround us. If we are able to avoid most of them then we will have a much easier life when it comes to living with others; it will also mean that as we get older and more set in our ways we should be headed in roughly the right direction instead of having to change when we least want to!

I think one of the saddest things that I see in modern society is that the children are not being taught to be ‘sober minded’ but instead are being left to learn for themselves. Much like a toy that has sensors and rushes round bumping into things before it turns to go in the other direction. If we are able to look ahead and learn from what we see rather than having to run head-long into it, we will be able to avoid obstacles rather than having to tackle each one as we hit it!

Sincerity seem to be another things that is no longer taught much nowadays. The simple solution is for us to be sincere and be an example for them to follow – there is nothing like learning from a good example. Changing our minds at the drop of a hat and rushing in all directions is not going to look very sincere; it may look like we are busy doing our work, but it is not sincerity.

Many people may raise the language issue and say that the youth of today have such bad language and lack of linguistic skills that they shall not get very far in life. Well, unfortunately, they have learned it from someone a bit older than them so it’s no use us blaming others for those language problems! As we grow our skills do change, and our skills do not match those of Victorian times or other ancient times so we need to expect change of some kind. Whilst we may not agree with the changes that are happening, the current generation have to be the ones to deal with it. How are they going to do that? Hopefully by listening to previous generations and learning from past mistakes. But if previous generations just argue or put down instead of teaching, then the current generation will not want to learn. We all have a part to play in God’s society.

Points to Ponder:
What changes do you see in society?

Are you trying to show others God’s ways?

Wednesday Reading: Titus 2 1-5

Key Verse: Titus 2 2
2  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

Devotion:
We all need reminders at times and this chapter is a reminder to serve as best we can, but not just a general reminder because we often forget about those! If we need to remember something then making it personal will help us to remember because that will make us think about the position or situation that we are in. Titus is reminded in this chapter to take care of and encourage various age ranges and not just to mix with people of like age and scope in our lives.

Teaching the Gospel mean reaching out to people of all ages and encouraging them in each of their own ways to be more vigilant and to try to follow the ordinances of God that have been in effect since man was created – to love God and to love others. The older we get the more apt we are to want our own ways and to not cater for others – that is just the way that we are; we get old and we no longer want to change. But as Christians we have to remember that people around us change and so we have to note that and be patient with them as we try to teach them the truth without forcing them into our own will instead of God’s will. Our aim as we get older should be to want to pass on the wisdom that God has given us so that others may choose to follow Him.

Each of us has a role to play in society and each of us will want to do that in different ways, but just because we are set in our own ways it does not mean that the rest of the world should be formed into our ways; our aim must be to teach God’s ways and to lift up His will and His ways instead of our own. We need to give God the glory in everything that we do and that also means that giving in to His ways even when we don’t want to change anymore.

Being more stubborn as we get older comes with the territory and both young and old need to realise that fact and make allowances for it. If we do not then we face the probability of rubbing others up the wrong way and taking any glory away from God as we pursue our own goals.

Points to Ponder:
Do you like doing things your own way?

Are those ways actually God’s ways?

Tuesday Reading: 1 Timothy 3 1-7

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3 2
2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Devotion:
Of course from the other side of the fence we can see that if someone wanted to lead a church then they should have certain qualifications and qualities about them. The first and foremost is that they should be called to that duty by God; and it can be argued that that is every Christians duty. But then there is more to it than just thinking that you are called to be a preacher!

Christ chose each of the disciples because He knew them from the inside and He knew that each of them would be blameless (with the exception of Judas Iscariot whom He knew would betray Him, but for His glory) and would carry out their duty solemnly. God wants a man who is willing to uphold the gospel, preach the truth and teach everyone that same truth. God does not want a famous orator or a famous actor just to bring in the crowds; God wants the truth told. We may not want to hear that truth sometimes because we have done things wrong, but it is the telling of that truth that God is after.

Each of us needs to aim toward this calling in some way because we all become examples of Christians when we become Christians. The more responsibility that we take on the more that we should take our own Christian walk seriously. The pastor of a church needs to make sure that they remain a most excellent example, and for that matter his spouse and children should be doing the same. Part of that remit of that position is that they maintain their own household as a living example of how they will maintain the church flock.

That, unfortunately, is where many of us fall down because we fall short of that example. Should that exclude us from the ministry? No. God is a forgiving God, but He wants church leaders to be chosen well so that they can remain blameless in society otherwise they will bring the church into disrepute and not just themselves. We have to be the ones who take on God’s Word and live by it so that we can be the best example we can be for others. If we know we fall short in any cause then we should be working to fix that before we say we are chosen of God – let us not bring God’s Word into disrepute just because we think otherwise.

Points to Ponder:
Do you uphold God’s Word?

Do others see that you uphold God’s Word?