Category Archives: Encouragement

Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Deception, Disciplemaking, Elders, Encouragement, Friends, Lies, Parenting, Patience, Wisdom

WAIT AND WATCH

1 TIMOTHY 5:24

“The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.”

Context, context, context! We can’t forget the context of this verse. Taken out of context you could apply this incorrectly and use it to judge others unfairly. But Paul is talking to Timothy about choosing men to serve as Elders in the church. Basically, he is telling him some men are open books. Everyone knows their character, flaws and strengths. Others, however, play a good game. They hide their secret sins, but they will be revealed.

Have you ever met someone and thought they were awesome, only to find out later that you had been conned?  People do it all the time. Deception is their life. They present one way to the public, but privately they live a whole other life. Paul is telling us to wait and watch. Give it some time. Don’t be too hasty. Their true self will reveal itself.

APPLICATION

Oh, listen! This is so important to teach your children. And you can teach it when they are pretty young. I bet you they are going to want something at the local Walmart that you know is not going to last very long. The item is not well made, so you know it’s only going to last the weekend. Have you had this experience? But they are begging for it. They even say they will use their own money.

So, you let them buy the item. Sure enough, it breaks within 24 hours. Now you have a great object lesson. Tell them that people can be that way. What appears to be great on the outside can hold deceptive parts. People who seem like great people can be hiding some very bad motives. The object here is not to get them to not trust people. The object is for them to learn discernment and patience. God will reveal to them the truth or the falsehood in the person. (Now, give them their money back since you used this as an object lesson, lol.)

This devotional may seem like I am “negative Nancy.” I believe the Word teaches us wisdom. It shows us the way to avoid situations. This is one of them. Don’t rush to judgment on someone, good or bad. Wait and watch. Let the Lord reveal their character. It will come out. Just watch.

Father, give me Your eyes and ears to discern truth in others. Help me see them as You see them. Expose any deception before I am deceived.

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Advice, Affection, Bible, Caregiver, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Elders, Encouragement, Love, Mercy, Ministry, Modeling, Parenting, Scripture

GOOD MEDICINE

1 TIMOTHY 5:23

“No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”

Don’t jump to the conclusion that Paul is saying to go out and buy some wine and start drinking. You’ve got to understand the culture of the day. It was common practice back then for young people (that was considered under 30) to not drink at all. It was actually frowned upon. Timothy was still a young man, although he was the leader of the church at Ephesus. Therefore, he probably abstained from any wine.

Undoubtedly, Timothy had some stomach issues which could be aided by the wine. They didn’t have Pepto Bismol or Tums back then. So, diluted wine was used to settle the stomach. Many times, the wine would be mixed with water (1 part wine, 2 parts water). Whatever you think about this verse, it is not a license to drink with liberality.

APPLICATION

This is one of those no-brainer verses. Of course, you are not going to teach your children to drink wine. That would be absurd. What you can do, however, is to teach then personal responsibility. That way, when they are older, they can make their own choice about this. The important thing to remember is their testimony is only as reputable as their conduct and behavior.

We don’t need wine to settle our stomach. We have medications now to do that. You can justify anything, but should you? There are some things that you are going to have to weigh against the entirety of God’s Word. Then you can make your decision. This is one of those things. So, teach your child well with this one.

This topic of drinking is so controversial in the church today. Don’t make this the hill you die on. Don’t judge others too quickly. Ask for wisdom and love each other. Paul was writing this letter to his child in the faith, Timothy, to encourage him to “take a little wine” to help his stomach. It was about his love for Timothy, not about the wine.

Father, thank You that You give us the wisdom to do as You lead us. Help me follow You as You direct. I want to please You, not man.

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Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, Friends, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Prejudice

NO BIAS

1 TIMOTHY 5:21

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principleswithout bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.” 

Here we go again. Another one-time used word. Paul seems to like doing that in 1 Timothy. Today it’s the Greek word for “bias.” It literally means prejudging, to show prejudice. But we have to look at the context.

Paul is talking about Elders in these verses. We must hold even our Elders accountable for their actions and not show any partiality towards those we like better or have close relationships with. That’s hard. That’s why Paul gives us instructions. He wants us to be faithful and loyal to the Lord and not men.

APPLICATION

I bet, if your children are old enough, they have some bff’s. Right? My daughter had a lot of them. We all just hit it off with some people. There’s nothing wrong with that. We need bff’s. But what do you do when one of those bff’s does something that you know is wrong? Teach your children to do the right thing. They can’t overlook it just because they are friends.

Friends confront each other. Why? Because friends should make each other better. We don’t prejudice ourselves by pointing out the faults in other people and ignoring them in our friends. We need to teach our children to treat everyone the same. That’s what Jesus would do.

Are you guilty of showing favoritism? Do you prejudge others. Today let the Lord show you a different way. Let Him show you how to love and accept others whom you normally would not. And hold those closest to you accountable. Don’t let them slide down a slippery slope just because you are scared to confront them.

Father, it is hard to confront sometimes. It’s hard not to show favoritism to those we love. Lord, give me the wisdom and discernment to do what You expect.

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Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Trust

IN FRONT OF ALL

1 TIMOTHY 5:20

“Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.” 

As believers, we have the responsibility to confront our brothers and sisters who continue in sin. Just look at the verse. Not only are we to rebuke them, but we are to do it in the “presence of all.” That word for “presence” literally means “in the eye of God.” Isn’t everything? 

Do we do this to embarrass them? No! It’s so their rebuke will deter others from doing the same, continuing in sin. Now, we all sin. We will until we see Jesus. We can’t avoid sin. But…we should never continue in it. A simple rebuke from a brother could alter the decision to sin. We so confront them in front of all. It’s out of love. 

APPLICATION

How in the world do you teach this to your children? Very carefully. It’s not our job to correct everyone. It is our responsibility to hold other believers accountable. We model this to our kids by helping our fellow believers make things right. When your little Johnny or Susie see one of their friends doing something they shouldn’t, teach them to go to them and point them toward Jesus.

Now, they don’t do that arrogantly. They do that just as you would do it. Loving them to correction. Loving them to repentance. Loving them to confession. There may come a time when they will have to confront someone in “front of all.” Make sure they are ready.

Are you willing to love your brothers and sisters that much? Will you risk hurting their feelings to draw them to Christ? We are commanded to do it not only for them but for others. Help others be more like Him but being less of themselves.

Father, I don’t understand how to do this without You. I will trust You to give me the words to confront lovingly. And I will do it for all.                                

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Encouragement, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Money, Obedience

NO MUZZLE

1 TIMOTHY 5:18

“For the Scripture says, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’”

In the context of this passage in 1 Timothy we can understand what Paul was telling Timothy. The church has the responsibility to take care of their Pastor financially. His job is to teach and preach, not fund raise. The church should not keep its Pastor humble and hungry (I have actually heard a church member say a church should do that to keep him under control). 

Have you ever seen a muzzle? It’s placed over the mouth of animal to prevent it from feeding or biting. In this case, it was to prevent an ox from feeding on what he was threshing. How cruel would that be? In the same way, the funds of the church should support the Pastor.

APPLICATION

Why don’t you teach this principle to your kids by muzzling them? Just kidding. That would be cruel and inhumane. But you could make a muzzle or find one to show them. Kids need visuals. If you have a dog, get a dog muzzle and put on it to show what the verse is talking about. Let them see how restrictive it is for their little pooch.

Teach them the importance of giving to the church. Part of that gift goes to support the church staff. The next time you write that check to the church or put your money in the offering plate, lead them in prayer for the church staff. They may have a favorite Pastor. Let your children pray for them by name, specifically thanking God that your family can give to support them in their ministry.

Do you bless your Pastor financially by giving to your church? If not, you need to. Don’t muzzle your ox. Give so they are free to do what God has called them to do – care for you. Feed them so they can feed you.

Thank you, Lord, that I can give to support my church. I thank You for each and every person who serves to lead me and my family spiritually.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Confession, Encouragement, Gifts, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Pastors

HARD WORK

1 TIMOTHY 5:17

“The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” 

Preachers get a bum rap some time. Some people think they only work one day a week and it takes a whole team of ushers to take up their money. Not true! In fact, preaching and teaching is very hard work. The Greek word for “work hard” actually means to strain in labor until exhaustion. 

Now, it’s not necessarily the act of preaching and teaching that’s so hard. I am actually energized when I preach. I can’t wait to share what the Lord has shown me in my study time. But the studying and preparing can be exhausting. Why? Because I want to make sure I get it right. I want to make it applicable. Hours are spent preparing a message.

APPLICATION

Talk to your children about your Pastor. Ask them what they think he does the other six days of the week. I bet you will get some interesting answers. I’ve heard them all, lol.  Then call your Pastor and ask if he can meet with you and your children to talk about this. Let him tell them directly what he does all week. 

And then most importantly, pray for him. Lead your children to pray for him. Show him the double honor Paul mentions here. If you feel so led, give him a gift card to his favorite restaurant or better yet to his favorite sports store. Make sure you tell him you are just living out today’s verse. That will bless him.

Are you honoring your Pastor? Or are you one of those church members who only criticize him. You don’t like his preaching. You don’t like the way he dresses. You don’t like (fill in the blank). Stop it. Confess that as sin. Start praying for your Pastor daily. It will change your view of him. Actually, God will change your view. Amen?

Thank you, Father, for my Pastor. Bless him today. Bless his family. Protect them today and give him rest.  

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Commands, Encouragement, Family, Love, Ministry, Modeling, Parenting, Service, Widows

BE OF ASSISTANCE

1 TIMOTHY 5:16

“If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

I have an Administrative Assistant. She is awesome! She makes me look good in so many ways by all the “little” things she does for our Children’s Ministry. I put little in quotes because nothing she does is really little. Her job is to assist me and our other staff and volunteers fulfill the calling to serve our children and their families.

So many today think being an assistant is below them. But right here in this passage, Paul tells Timothy how important it is to lend assistance. That’s what an assistant does – lends assistance. In fact, this Greek word for “assist” only occurs right here in verse 16 (two times) and in verse 10 we saw earlier. It’s not our job to take care of the widows who have families. That’s their job. We, the church, need to be free to assist those who have no one.

APPLICATION

Can you think of a way your little Johnny or Susie could assist someone today? Depending on the age of your children, they could help clean a widow’s house for them. Perhaps they could mow or rake their yard. I promise you the widows you know have a long list of things that need to be done.

Ask your church for a name of a widow or widower who could use some assistance. If this person does not have family around, you and your children could become that for them. People need people. Sometimes the best assistance you can give them is just some time spent with them. We can all find fifteen to thirty minutes a week for that.

Whom is the Lord calling you to assist? Are you willing to do that? You will be blessed for more than they will. The Lord blesses those who serve others, especially if it is done with a pure heart. Assist that person without any expectations of gratitude. Just do it for Jesus.

It is so pleasing to assist others. Lord, show me those whom You would have me invest my time and energy in. I want to honor You by serving them.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Surrender, Widows, Women

A WOMAN’S PLACE

1 TIMOTHY 5:14

“Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;” 

I just couldn’t resist titling today’s devotion as I did. Now that I have done that, let me quickly explain, lol. I do not mean a woman’s place is in the kitchen or that her value is only attributable to child bearing or being married. Goodness no! If I actually believed that I wouldn’t last very long in my family, lol. We have to concentrate on the last phrase.

A woman’s place, just like every believer, is to be above reproach, to not bring any shame on our Savior, to be surrendered to Him. This is NOT the same word that was used back 1 Timothy 3:2 or 5:7. This word is only used in one other verse, where it is used twice (1 Peter 3:9). It means a scathing insult or slander. Paul is saying that these younger widows should live so that no one could bring an insult against them.

APPLICATION

In the same way, our children need to be taught to live that way. If we have nothing to hide, our lives will be above reproach. We won’t worry about people finding out our little secrets which could bring insult on us and our Lord. So, how do we teach our children to live that way? Simple! You have to live like that before them.

We must live with no secrets, no lies, no hidden lifestyles. Our children need to be able to trust our character. One of the scariest things your child can say to you is, “I want to grow up and be just like you.” Right? That puts all the pressure on you, or does it? No! Jesus is the one who lives through you. If you surrender daily, your children can grow up to be just like Him.

So, how are your living? Are you free of reproach due to the protection of our Lord? You can be. Just surrender today. Let Jesus be Jesus in you. Then if people try to slander you, and they will, remember it is not you they are slandering. It’s Jesus.

Give me strength, Lord, to live a life that mirrors You. I want the world to see You and not me. Thank You for living in and through me.

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SELF AFFLICTED

1 TIMOTHY 5:12

“thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.” 

Have you ever known people who complain about how awful their life is only to find out their troubles are the result of their own decisions? People lose their driving privileges from DUI’s – self-afflicted. Getting a speeding ticket – self-afflicted. I could go on and on, but you see where I am going with this. Now, every situation is unique. However, most of our troubles (me included) are the result of self.

In today’s verse, the younger widows receive judgment or condemnation for deserting their first love, not for wanting to get married again. They had pledged to serve Christ but abandoned that calling. Before you judge them, however, we are the same way. We all just want what we want when we want it, disregarding previous commitments.

APPLICATION

We have the responsibility as parents to teach our children to keep their commitments. Once they agree to be a part of a team sport, they should complete that season unless injury or team conduct merits leaving the team. Once your child begins a project, they need to complete it. Finality is important. Seeing the project through to completion teaches great lessons.

Today, too many of us get bored with something and just drop it. We have forgotten the discipline of completion. We have forgotten the discipline of commitment. Don’t let your children do that. Hold them accountable. In the future they will thank you.

Are you guilty of quitting when it gets hard? If you are, go back and pick that project or task back up again. Finish it. Set some goals and accomplish them. Set reasonable goals, some you know you can meet. Then next time you can raise the bar a little bit. But just don’t quit.

Master and Teacher, You never quit on us. So, I will not quit on You. I will accept and complete the tasks You give me.

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CHRIST FIRST

1 TIMOTHY 5:11

“But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married,” 

I have to admit that I had to consult some commentators on this verse. At first glance in the English, this paints the younger widows in a bad way. Fortunately, the Greek meaning of the phrase “feel sensual desires in disregard of” was not originally meant to portray such a negative opinion. The Greek word for that phrase is only used here in the New Testament.

The purpose of “the list” of widows was for the church to minister to them and for the widows, in return, minister to each other and serve the Body. Paul is merely saying that younger widows will have the natural desires to remarry which will limit their ability to serve. He is not condemning these young widows. He is, in fact, releasing them from the obligation to serve.

APPLICATION

How in the world do you apply this verse to your children? Easy! Put Christ first! Putting Christ first is costly. Putting Christ first means letting other things go. Putting Christ first means not doing some things and pursuing other things. Now, tell me that doesn’t apply to your kids.

When we teach our children to pursue Christ first, they will have to make some tough choices. They will be given ample opportunities to pursue everything but Christ. They will have to choose which master to follow. If we invest the time to teach them the honor and privilege of putting Christ first, they will reap the benefits of that close, personal relationship that comes with that. Don’t you want that for your son or daughter?

Are you putting Christ first? Or are you pursuing the world, with all its distractions. You cannot put family or work or even ministry first and expect to have that intimate relationship with Christ. Whatever is causing you to put Christ anywhere but in first place in your life must be examined closely and put in its proper position in your life.

Lord Jesus, I want You to be first in my life. I want You to come before anything. I want You to be second to nothing.

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