Prayer Is About Relationship

My wife went to a women's prayer seminar this past weekend at our church building. She came back with something that stuck with me. I've known for a long time but have just ignored it and needed a reminder of what God is looking for in prayer. She said, "Prayer isn't necessarily about asking God for stuff, or even about Him answering them. It's about relationship."

That kind of hit home with me as I agreed to it, remembering that taught to me a long time ago. She went on a little further. "I was asked what I call God in prayer, and in a pause before my answer, I say, 'Dad' and then pause afterward because it doesn't seem like I should be able to call Him that."

Even though we know that God has torn the veil through Christ, and now we have direct access to Him because of the cross, the privilege of calling Him "Father" is still scary. I know we can enter the throne room with confidence because of grace. I know those things. But it's still seems a little weird to call the Creator and Sustainer of all life, "Daddy" like Paul does in Romans.

The best illustration of grasping these thoughts that I can find has everything to do with being a parent. There's an element of my kids being able to call me father, but also an element of respect that comes with it. For example, I lay down the rules of the home and they'll be followed or suffer the consequences. It's not a mean way to live, but a real one. Every one of us faces the results of our decisions and actions. If our children aren't taught that in the home, they'll think the world owes them something when leave the home to go on their own. And that simply isn't the way things work.

Anyway, there's a respect factor that's grounded in humility. Arrogance can get in the way of the privilege if they get too comfortable. It's like this: we have fun playing, but the moment they argue with a rule I've set in place, there's a "reminder" of who's rule it is and what happens when we don't follow that rule. So humility is very important as well.

Last week I was working out with another pastor from Radiant Church in town. He was telling me about a lesson he gave to the youth group last Wednesday. He used a really neat example that I've never thought of, even though I've seen the movie a few times. He pointed that every time Thor introduced himself in the movie, he mentioned who his father was. He associated himself with his father. It gave him identity, power, and confidence. But the moment he became arrogant, his father did was necessary to teach him the importance of humility even though he had a very close relationship with his dad.

There's a lesson in there. Knowing our Father, being found in Him, gives us an identity, power to overcome, and confidence in this life and the next. But with our interaction with our heavenly Father, humility is of utmost importance. Remember what He's done to make a way for us to call Him our Father.

Prayer is about relationship.

Going back to parenting, I've also noticed how I treat my Father most of the time. My children do it too. A majority of the interaction with my children comes from them asking me for things. All day long sometimes, they come up with questions like, "Can I have a drink? Can I play the Wii? Is alright if I go outside? What are you making?" Then there's the other side of things, the tattling, "He hit me! He's not sharing! She took that from me! He won't play with me!" When I come home, these are some of the things that greet me.

What I long for is deeper than the asking for stuff and permission, more than the tattling. I want to know about their day, their school, what they've learned and the fun they've had with their friends. Rather than the tattling, I want to train them how handle situations where things aren't going the way they'd like. I want to be involved in more of their lives than just the "genie" who makes their trouble go away and give them what they want.

This hurts when I put it in comparison with my relationship with God. If prayer is about relationship, then I've failed at developing the relationship with Him as my Father. He wants to know about my day. He wants to train me to develop godliness. Maybe, instead of being nosy about God's plan for our lives, we're supposed to develop a relationship with Him that demonstrates trust that He knows what He's doing. I think He does want to know about our day. I don't think He's hiding things, but wants to show us what it will all end up turning out to be, something great for Him and us.

I want to challenge you think about what this looks like in your life. I'm not saying that asking God for things is wrong, but if our life is about worship to God and bringing Him glory, I think it's a better idea to begin by working on our relationship with Him as Father so we'll know what to ask for when we come to Him with a request.

Prayer is about relationship. How's it going?

"Hi! How are you?"

For what purpose do you greet others? When you shake their hands or say, "hello," what's the reason behind the greeting? Most of the time it's driven by politeness out of common courtesy toward the one you make eye contact with. But when we say, "How are you?" in that casual form, are we really ready to listen to what they're going to respond with? Secretly I'm always hoping that they say, "Great! Yourself?" It means I don't have to stand and ask, "Why? What's going on?" toward a negative or "so-so" response.


Right now I've begun 2 Timothy. For the first time ever a greeting at the beginning of a letter caught my attention. In order to understand the rest of the book it's necessary to understand Paul's greeting. I've found that he hides the overall scope and topic of the letter in his greetings to churches and individuals. 


First off, let me begin with a thought that has always bothered me. This could be considered a rant, but I prefer not to think of it that way. 


There have been many believers, including myself, who've begun relationships with an agenda of "winning" the other to Christ. Unfortunately, what might happen is that if we're unsuccessful, we'll leave them and move on to the next person who might say "yes" to Jesus. After they accept Him, we'll even leave them and move on to the next! This has undoubtedly left a bad taste in unbelievers' mouths being left with the thought that they are nothing more than a project. They truly are looking for relationship just like anyone else who desires to have a friend. Believers, we need to be bigger than this!


But the one thing that bothers me is what's happened in all this. Now we've been labeled as a people with a "hidden agenda." What's up with that? Why's is "hidden" in the first place? Why are we ashamed to bring it up from the very beginning? The fact that we've been saved by Christ is not something to be "hidden" in our lives but lived out. Freedom from sin and God's wrath because of the cross should give us reason to celebrate and tell the world of this awesome gift He's given us! "Hidden with Christ in God" doesn't mean that we are to hide, but to shine brightly the Light and Life we've been given! 

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus" ~2 Timothy 1:1 (NIV)

Did you catch it? This is exciting...Paul's whole reason for writing this letter to Timothy is because of the promise of life in Jesus! There is no hidden agenda, but it's labeled from the very beginning, proudly announcing and declaring in humility that he is not ashamed, not hiding the fact that his calling and his teaching is because of the promise of life! Such thankfulness!

Later in chapter 1, Paul charges Timothy that he should not be ashamed of the testimony of Christ, although preaching that God came to earth as a man to die on a cross and then to rise from the dead to save us from our sins seems like a very unrealistic idea, but to take pride in the Message of Jesus! For those of us who believe, there is no reason to be ashamed because "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love, and discipline."

And here's the humility side of it, the awesome truth of it all: God "saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Timothy 1:9). There's nothing about us in the whole thing other than we get to experience firsthand the grace and love of God!

So, when we greet people, when we develop relationships, is the "agenda" hidden? Or are the motives of our greeting grounded in the realization of the promise of life? Our purpose is because we've been saved! Our motive is because we've been smothered in God's grace and love, and we're thankful!

I'm convinced every relationship we have is another opportunity share God's love. Any relationship without the purpose of the promise of life is superficial and will only go as deep as the surface response: "Great! Yourself?" We need to come to grips with the fact that Christ is intrusive. He wants it all. He's given everything. And the connection we share because of Christ needs to draw us deeper, more together, and display truth brightly to the world. Can we do this all the time? Probably not. But the next time we greet someone, maybe we could be genuine about it. And if we're unwilling to go there, maybe we should revisit our commitment to following Christ. Remember, there was not one person He greeted that He didn't genuinely love.

Thanks be to God for His grace! May Your love and grace drive my motivation in relationship building and greeting new people! May the promise of life in the present and eternal reside in Christ in my life.

1 Timothy 6

Alright, take a moment and read 1 Timothy 6:3-21. I've been stuck on this for the past 5 days, trying to get a better understanding on it.

Serving as one of the pastors at a church, it's extremely important to me to be setting a good example to follow and to be teaching the truth of the Bible (there is no falsehood in it). This section had me for awhile because it seems as though Paul is telling Timothy to watch out for something, to keep pure in heart and understanding of the truth, to not allow it to be tainted by what some call knowledge.

Don't we all have some thought that God will bless us if we follow Him? I think He does, but not like we expect. These guys were teaching that you could tell you were following God by the gain you would receive, or success in your welfare. Immediately red flags shoot off in my mind about that kind of teaching. It doesn't matter where I hear it, health and wealth as being considered a reward for being a disciple of God isn't true.

But let's go a little deeper. There's a teaching out there now, a common misunderstanding of Christianity, that we all hold on to. It deceives us as to what being a Christ-follower is all about. Gain. Success. We may not hold tightly to a "health and wealth gospel" teaching, but we do believe that Christianity will make us a better person. For some, it's the only reason we go to church. We've been deceived.

Christianity doesn't make us a better person. If that's the way we think, we've been misled. It's not about us becoming better, but about God restoring a relationship with us through His Son's death and resurrection though we are very undeserving. Becoming a better person is a by-product of faith in God.

Godliness is only gain when accompanied by contentment. The moment we become aware and live as though the treasures of the world have no hold on us do we ever understand the "gain" in following Christ.

God isn't out to make us successful, but to conform us to the image of His Son. There's a transformation, a point of difference, a moment in our lives when we're faced with defining the word "success." God's definition involves our eternal destiny, while the world's involves our pleasure and happiness. God's term is deep, the world's is shallow. It's the difference between faith and the physical.

The man and woman of God is supposed to pursue something different than money and success. Look at the list in verse 11. Verse 12 tells us to hold on to eternal life...that means letting go of the temporary.

Now understand, this doesn't mean that being wealthy is bad. But those Christ-followers who are wealthy are to set an example of what true success looks like--a life lived under a submission to God's perspective: hope fixed on God, generosity, willingness to share to meet the needs of others in need, which produces the storing up of eternal treasures.

Now I want to take this to a place of worship. Romans 12:1-2 tells us that the true act of worship is offering ourselves as a holy living sacrifice to God, something pleasing to Him. If worship is a sacrifice, it should cost us something...maybe even to the point that it hurts. But for the Christ-follower, it won't hurt because of the devotion to Christ. For those of us who still hang on to worldly pleasures, it will undoubtedly hurt. But the gain is worth the sacrifice! The success is growth in relationship with God! And there's transformation in our minds to understand God's will and keep with sights set on the eternal!

We should not be asking ourselves, "What we can spare?" but "What will it take?" That's the transformation. That's the worship that's sacrificial. That's the essence of godly success in following Him. That's where the gain is to be found. With our eyes fixed on Him, our hope fixed on our Savior, we leave behind the treasure of the world and its successes to enter into a godly vision of eternal treasure founded in faith and worship to Him.

Now that we know, is this the cross we must pick up to follow Christ? Every time we read the Word, we have a decision to make on whether or not we'll pick up our cross and follow. What will it take? What will you give? Or is our sacrifice only what we can spare?

The Witness Of Us All

"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them." --1 Timothy 6:1-2 (NIV 84)


This isn't a passage condoning slavery, but addressing attitudes. Paul says slavery is a "yoke," something not wanted to bear. So don't even get the idea that this is saying that slavery is okay, but rather that according to the custom of the time, this is how one should think.

We all have a witness that speaks volumes of our beliefs. Regardless of our condition or situation, it's something we must think about. I wonder if the witness we're giving about Christ is regarded as a collective whole, going beyond our own personal witness.

All believers carry with them the Name of Jesus. The Name of Jesus should be giving off the aroma of God, leaving a good taste in people's mouths of grace, love, forgiveness, patience, gentleness, compassion, faith, comfort, hope, and truth.

A good way of thinking about this is considering the message of Jesus, the gospel truth of His life on earth, the aroma and the taste of God He left with each person He came in contact with. If we consider His witness, we can better understand what kind of witness we need and should to present to others. I've always believed that carrying the name "Christian" upon myself is a great responsibility and privilege. The question that pops into my mind is this: What kind of name did I leave behind this time?

I hope that with God's "character building" within me, that more of Him will be seen daily. I don't want questions to come up on the consistency of my witness. I want it to be clear, honest, and true. If I rephrase this passage to something that works in today's language, I think it'd read something like this:

"All who work should consider their employers worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing employers are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them."

It's a whole new concept. Suddenly my work takes into account the witness I'm giving to those who see it. But not only that, my work here gives off a collective witness of Christ to the world. It should not give any way to be slandered or made less effective in its truth. Not only that, but the way I lead others is also taken into account. And just because they might be believers doesn't allow for any less respect because of the truth we have in common. Rather, it should mean even more is given!

People come in contact with believers every day. Each witness speaks volumes of how they'll perceive the message gospel and our faith. One bad witness affects all others, and correcting what should have been will take much longer than having the right witness done the first time.

This doesn't mean that we should be fake. It does mean that we should be true. Our value on our relationship with God will determine what kind of witness we'll give off. If it's not valued much but our witness is important to us, we can fool them to believe anything we want. But it isn't true and eventually they'll see through it. If we don't care but make the claim that we belong to God, would they ever get to a point where they think it's important enough to accept His grace? But if our relationship with God is the most important thing in our lives, our witness will be true and show them the need they have for His grace.

All this to say, our witness for Christ needs to also take into account the name it's giving the rest  of the believers. My witness affect yours, and your witness affects mine. What are they saying about us? More importantly, what are they saying about God?

Keeping In Check

There's a statement that I won't forget that Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:44, "Each tree is recognized by its own fruit." We can tell what kind of tree it is by the fruit it produces. So we can with people. If we want to know what someone is like, look at the fruit they produce. 1 Timothy 5:24-25 has something to say about this too. 

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

Here this past week, I've had a worship department meeting in which we asked what worship is and how to define it. The basis of our understanding of it comes from Romans 12:1-2. But we see worship in the Bible mostly being a response in appreciation to the character of God. It begins with devoted time and surrender to Him. It takes a transformed mind that is constantly renewed day by day to know the difference between the way of the world and The Way of God. Our lives can give worship to God at any time and any place.


1 Timothy 5 tells me that worship is also directional. I know this passage has to do with appointing elders, but it also defines the direction in which a potential elder is headed. I think it can be true and applicable to all of us as well. We can tell a tree by the fruit it produces. And in appointing people in leadership, it is extremely important to take time in making proper judgment on their character. But let it be a reminder to us, a wake-up call to keep our lives in check. 


Some things are obvious and others are not. But even the things that are hidden will be unveiled eventually. We cannot hide it forever. Whether it be our sins or good deeds, all will show themselves someday. Think about it. The good and bad things we do give us an atmosphere that defines us and builds a reputation of who we really are. Some of us have gotten really good at hiding things. But it won't matter someday. Its affect on our minds and thought process will show up in our interaction with others, especially with those most important to us. And it's why we need to pray every day for a renewed mind so we'll know what God's pleasing, perfect, and good will is. 


Our lives point to something. God pointed to us with His extravagant love through His only Son's death on the cross. Our response, both public and private, to His goodness and mercy and grace should be a life that now points directly to Him in all we think, say, and do. 


Where are you and I pointing? Who are you and I worshiping? Is it evident? Is it true? Does the fruit we produce clearly show a life that is constantly thankful toward God for His life He gave up for us?

The Worship Ministry Thing

This week I've been going through the book of 1 Timothy in my studies. Right now I'm in chapter 4. The things that keeps sticking out to me is the fact that Paul wrote this letter to a young minister, a preacher. When I read it, sometimes I think it's a letter to me, to Nate. I've been stuck in chapter 4 for a while now, trying to understand what Paul is talking about on a personal level. It's neat how God works. Let me tell you.

Chapter 4 talks about the importance of knowing what you believe, persevering in it, setting an example with it, and teaching it. Every minister, every believer should devote themselves to Scripture. But one thing that caught my attention was not neglecting my gift.

Today I got in the office flustered from yesterday. I didn't get a chance to spend time studying before I began work. I missed it deeply and it affected my day. I kept getting phone calls and online chats for help on things. I do enjoy being able to help people out and inform them on things they don't understand. It was abnormal yesterday though. I never get phone calls, and I got 4 yesterday and each call lasted about an hour. Weird. So I made sure to get in earlier so that would not happen again, so I wouldn't miss what desperately need: time with God. I meant to get the bulletin done and ready for print and to prepare for my Worship Department meeting tonight. Didn't happen. Was going to go fishing today with some of my gym buddies, but had to turn them down because of what didn't get done yesterday.

For some reason when I walked in the office, I had a strong urge to pick up the guitar and play. I realized why. Some of you might be thinking, "Don't you have a lot to do other than spend time playing the guitar?" Well, yeah, but I think the Spirit was moving within me to just stop everything and spend some time in worship, to not neglect the gift I've been given, but use it to begin the day with praise to God. I can honestly say I'm guilty of neglecting my gift. This morning I was able to pour out my heart to the Lord in song and music. It's affecting me deeply. There's a connection with God that grows stronger when our gift isn't neglected.

This also makes me think about my example. I may not be a preacher, but a worship pastor has an example to set for believers to help them understand what true worship to God looks like. Worship includes not neglecting your gift but using it to bring God praise.

Another part that sticks out to me is verses 15-16, to be diligent and give myself wholly to them so that everyone may see my progress; to watch my life and doctrine closely and persevere in them so save both myself and my hearers. It's such a big responsibility to have a spotlight shining on my life. So, again, who am I reflecting when that light is shining on me?

Those of you who are ministers as well, let's take a few moment and think about the doctrine we preach with our lives. Is it clear, obvious, done in love and purity, spoken well, devoted to God, thankful, and maximizing our gifts? What doctrine has slipped in to our thinking or way of life that isn't godly or considered neutral? Maybe it's not neutral. Maybe it's a myth or old wives' tale. Are we training ourselves by being diligent and giving ourselves wholly over to what is driving us in our ministry? This is what should drive us, and this is why worshiping this morning has opened my eyes to finally understand this chapter: 1 Timothy 4:10 "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

Praying For Leaders

Alright, this is something that I hardly every do. And I think out country overlooks this verse quite a bit. How often do we pray for those in authority over us? 1 Timothy 2 tells us to pray, to intercede, and be thankful for our leaders. In some cases, that can seem pretty hard to do if we don't like their form of leadership. But even if we're not all that thankful for them, do we pray for them at all?

There are plenty of leaders absorbed with their power. It's their downfall. It's a curse and a hindrance to good leadership, to wholesome oversight. Our leaders have a responsibility that we've entrusted to them to protect us, to allow us to live in the freedom our country's constitution declares. Some have abused their power to force an agenda of their own ideology. Most politicians do. But a good leader looks out for the welfare of all their constituents, and provides avenues for success in their lives. A good leader gives people the freedom to become and do what they aspire to.

For those of us who are believers, a good leader grants us freedom to worship God the way we see fit, the way we understand the Bible to say. And I believe that it is our duty to be sure it remains that way. But I also believe that we're not praying enough about it. I know I don't. We're supposed to pray for them so we may "live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." If God wants us to know Him, He surely wants our leaders to as well. If we're not praying for them, their minds will be clouded and they'll abuse the authority they have. We'll lose our freedom. It won't be peaceful.

Imagine a government showered in prayer! Imagine a freedom to live peacefully without fear of persecution! Can you imagine the freedom going away? It's time to stop the arguing about who's leading what and begin action that brings us to our knees. Pray for their salvation! Pray for holiness! Pray for an overwhelming knowledge of the truth to overtake our government! Jesus died for them too.

Remember The Mercy

It's such a blessing to be called into ministry. We must not forget from where we've come and what we've experienced because of God's mercy that brings us to where we are today. It's a blessing, an entrustment of a stewardship, a high calling to serve in the Kingdom. And no one is outside this call within the church to contribute to the cause of Christ.

But the moment we begin to think we're something, our effectiveness for His kingdom depletes as we seek approval for ourselves. Willing praise to God becomes tainted with something that now is unworthy of God's name being on it. And the fall of us is even greater.

Paul's first letter to Timothy puts Paul's view of his ministry in perspective. He remembers where he's come from and the mercy he's been shown. Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17. We think of Paul and how awful of a human being he was. Paul was a terrorist. But for some reason God chose to show him mercy because of his great sin. The lesson for me is there is no one too far gone to be reached with the message of God's grace. Paul's story is one that should encourage us not to give up on anyone, that each person has a chance.

The trustworthy statement still applies today. It needs full acceptance because we've forgotten Jesus came to save sinners. And maybe we've even forgotten that we are sinners sometimes. I admit, as we all should, Jesus has unfortunately been made into a good luck charm, something to call on when we're in trouble, to keep us safe from harm, and to make us look good in front of our friends and neighbors. But do we remember that He came into the world to save sinners--and I'm the worst? Maybe our comparison to the next person on our goodness or greatness should instead be something toward the affect of our desperate need for mercy from God!

Remembering what Christ saved us from is something we shouldn't forget, but remember. We should remember what we were, know what we are now, and forever be found in a state of thankfulness toward God for His mercy toward us.

Not to discredit Paul, but each story of salvation is another example of God's patience. Paul's story declares the message of the need for salvation to the rest of us. If God can save a terrorist like Paul, surely He can save those who are not and others who are! What sinner is found with a great enough sin to be kept from God's grace if a converted terrorist wrote half the New Testament?! Oh, the amazing patience and grace and love of God! His mercy is great. And glory only does belong to Him!

Now the application. I'm not worthy of this. But God has considered me trustworthy enough to carry this ministry. He gives me strength. God's mercy is great and He has shown it to me firsthand. I may not have literally killed anyone or blasphemed, but my actions and thoughts have done something similar. I've hated. I thought things. But God uses my failures to display His great strength and patience with me so as an example "for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life." May I never forget God's mercy toward me. May I always remember that each person, no matter how great the sin, has just as much need for the message of grace as I do. God be praised!

Promoting

There are many different kinds of teachings of the gospel out there. We all have come to our own way of thinking and believing, holding a "my faith is my own" approach in conversation. We've all allowed some form of "post-modern" thinking to creep into the faith. We live in a post-modern era, or later, and it has had a huge effect on our thought process. It's very self-absorbed. "You have your way of thinking, I have mine. It's relative. Maybe that's the way you believe or understand it, but I believe differently. All roads lead to the same destination. Truth is up to the interpreter." No solid foundations found on beliefs because there is supposedly no solid foundation. Nothing is sound. And all of this is done so we can learn to coexist. It's more important to be politically correct in our terminology than to address the absolute, obvious reality.

I'm tired of being politically correct. I don't think it's necessary. I think that instead of being on guard and afraid to offend all the time, I must act out of love. There's a deeper issue that lies at the root of all this craziness and all of us know what true differences are. Maybe the issue is we've left sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel of Jesus for myths. Or maybe we devote ourselves to a saying, believing it's gospel truth. Maybe we've lost the meaning of what things are supposed to be because we've enforced them on things where they have no relevance. Maybe, in all this, we've promoted controversial speculation instead of advancing God's work--which is by faith.

I'm reading Timothy now. Paul's letter to his "true son in the faith" is so intriguing. It's a letter that charges Timothy to keep to what is sound amidst a culture that runs after the next great philosophy. Paul tells Timothy to stay in Ephesus, to command those who are teaching false doctrine to stop it. Then he gives him clues as to who they are. They teach and devote themselves to the wrong thing, desiring to become something that they don't understand or know anything about.

A common debate in the early church was the use of the commandments in the Old Testament. But the apostles taught that Jesus fulfilled the Law and thus we've been shown grace and don't need to follow the rituals any longer. But the Jews who would convert had a tough time getting to a place where they could walk away from that heritage, the form of worship they were so used to. And sometimes those who didn't practice things taught in the law were viewed with contempt. These works would bring an attitude of self-righteousness.

So a majority of Paul's letters would mention, and do, that we are saved by grace through faith, not through works. Jesus did the work. The work is over. Our acceptance of God's grace should now bring us to a place where we live out His love in response to it. Let's face it, finding righteousness through comparison with others is easy when everything is based on works. But when grace is involved, works just don't matter because we're not earning anything. It's grace. Forgiveness. A second chance. We're made right with God through Jesus. It has everything to do with God now. So what matters is our response to that grace.

I think about our doctrine and the things taught in church. Believe me, I think there are many of us who feel unqualified for this calling and would tell you the same thing: I'm really not sure I'm supposed to be doing this. Unqualified is a good term. Then there are those who believe they are qualified. Isn't it weird how we generally prefer listening to teachers who think they aren't qualified to the people who think they are? There's a way to tell the difference: it's motivation.

Motivation has everything to do with who teaches and who doesn't. Those people Paul told Timothy to command to stop were motivated by something other than love. Paul specifically mentions that the goal of the command to stop is love. It comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. There's no deeper motivation. This love is focused on the other rather than self. There's no hidden agenda, no guilt after confrontation, and a genuine love for God is displayed.

I would assume these guys are in the church or claim to be believers of some kind. It's obvious they didn't get it. Paul gives Timothy a great script for addressing them. The law is good, but isn't for righteous people. It's for unrighteous people; people who don't know Jesus to get them on the right track.

Now we get to what I was mentioning earlier. Again, I'm not sure how to put this in words very well because it's still being digested. It seems that there are a lot of myths that have entered lifestyle of a Christian. They may not be bad things, but they are meaningless in comparison with the gospel. What I mean by that is God doesn't hold the value on them like we do. There's a status quo, a belief system based on American thought that has infiltrated the church in a subtle way. Maybe there's lots of them that we don't realize. I'm not sure of what they all are or even of what one would be. I have ideas, but each one is up for debate, and I'm not going to "promote controversial speculations" or turn to "meaningless talk" right now. These are things you're going to have to take up with God. But I do want to promote something else: love.

Are the things we're doing, the conversations we're having, the thoughts we're thinking peppered with love? Are we advancing God's work (which is by faith) and promoting love, or are we advancing our work and promoting ourselves? Are our motives based our self-fulfillment instead of love for God, love which stems from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith? Are those three things something that we're known for? Are we committing to trash what is meant to be for holiness? How much of our talk is meaningless? How much of our lifestyle does God value? (notice I didn't say "life" because God values your life more than His Son) How is our response to a grace we didn't deserve? Are we still trying to earn it? The question that will haunt me today is this one: Is our faith in God or ourself?