Year 5, Day 326: 1 Timothy 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Character

• Character: Having the interior life that is necessary to support the work that God sets before a person.  It is hearing from God and obeying.  It is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.

It should really make sense to end a letter like 1 Timothy with a discussion on character.  After all, this is a personal letter from Paul to Timothy.  Of course he is going to end with a charge to live a righteous life!

So what does living in a righteous manner look like?  I think it is important to examine what Paul talks about.  We are to teach truth but not enjoy spiritual controversy.  We are to be content with having our needs met and not seeking after the luxuries of the world – because the love of money is the root of all evils.  But perhaps most importantly, we are to guard the deposit of faith that has been set within us.  Should this be lost, what will we truly have?

If find this to be a very challenging list.  It is easy to know that we should pursue righteousness.  But it is hard to set righteousness as the constant goal of every action.  It is easy to know that the riches of this world are not worth pursuing.  But it is difficult to not want what we see people around us having.  It is easy to know that the faith within us is our most valued gift.  Yet because it comes free of charge with so much grace from God it is easy to get our priorities out of whack and therefore have our faith lose value in our daily choices that we make.

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