Category Archives: God’s Will

Advice, Bible, Bosses, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Direction, God's Will, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Perseverance, Scripture

YOU ARE CHARGED

1 TIMOTHY 6:13

“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,” 

Unfortunately, when we hear the word “charge” we automatically think about a financial transaction. Paul had no concept of Mastercard or Visa, lol. This word “charge” had an entirely different meaning. This Greek word means “to charge, give a command that is fully authorized because it has gone through all the proper (necessary) channels.” It also originally carried a military meaning as when an officer would give a command to an inferior. 

You are charged by God to carry out the duties in His army. God expects us to comply. Now, He won’t make us. He never will. But obedience is expected. Where do we find these “charges”? In His Word. It is full of commands from the Father. All we have to do is read His Word and then follow His commands. Easy peasy, right? I wish.

APPLICATION

Have you ever given your children a command to clean their room or brush their teeth? I am sure you have. No child I know naturally does that without being told. And I bet you had to show them how to do it, right? I remember teaching our children how to brush their teeth. I remember teaching them how to pick up their toys and make their bed. Commands are great, but if we don’t know how to carry it out, it’s useless.

Jesus showed us how to obey our Father. Point your children to Him. He will show them how to obey you and God. His examples of obedience all through His life show us it is possible. Of course, we aren’t Jesus. We will make mistakes. That’s okay. God simply wants us to strive toward perfection. He is the perfecter, not us. 

Are you obeying the commands given to you by the Lord? Maybe you are more like me and try to find ways around it, lol.  Resolve yourself today to be an obedient soldier of the cross. When the Lord charges you with a new task, gratefully take it on and fulfill His desires for your life. You won’t be sorry.

Lord, I want to obey. Sometimes my flesh gets in the way, but I know that is just an excuse. Forgive my disobedience.

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Advice, Bible, Bosses, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, God's Will, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Surrender

RESPECT YOUR BOSS

1 TIMOTHY 6:1

“All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.”

When the Scriptures talk about slavery, we don’t quite understand the context. In America, our mind jumps back to the 1800’s and the Civil War, in which our country fought each other about the issue of slavery and state’s rights. In other countries, slavery has another context. But for all of us, we can compare these passages in God’s Word to the modern day employer/employee relationship.

I hope you like your boss. Working for someone you don’t like can be miserable. However, in God’s design for your life, He has allowed you to come under the authority of that person. So, our goal is not to please our boss. Our objective is to please the Father. Look at the last part of the verse – “so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.” We represent Christ to our bosses. Act like it.

APPLICATION

This won’t be fully taught to your little Johnny until he gets his first job. But you can start now by holding him accountable to every other adult in his life. We must teach our children to honor and respect all those God has placed over them. As a minister to children for the past 40+ years, I have seen so many disrespectful children. Most, if not all, were directly disrespectful to their own parents with no repercussions.

If we allow our children to get away with that, they will not respect their boss one day. That won’t be good. What do you think will happen? They will probably mouth off to them and get fired. Submission to authority is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength and maturity.

Are you a loyal and obedient employee? If you are working, do you show the respect to your boss that is due. Let me encourage you to do that today. Go out of your way to thank your boss. Give them a card thanking them for their leadership. Get them a gift card. Do something today to show your gratitude for God placing them in authority over you.

I am guilty many times, Lord, of complaining about my boss rather than praying for them. I pray today that You will give my boss wisdom to lead. Bless his/her family.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Elders, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Passion, Qualifications

CHOOSE WISELY

1 TIMOTHY 5:22

“Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.”

If you read this verse by itself, you might think Paul is telling us not to grab someone, lol. Context is always key to any verse. Of course, this verse is in the context of Elders. Paul is warning Timothy not to ordain or appoint Elders too quickly. Every Elder who is placed in leadership bears the burden of caring for the flock. If someone is chosen who is not ready, they can do great harm to the body.

How many times have you seen people come to Christ and immediately get thrown into some kind of leadership role? That usually does not end well. People need to be discipled and prepared for these roles. Some are ready to lead. Others are not. Not choosing them now does not mean they can’t be chosen later.

APPLICATION

What are some tasks that your little Gertrude or Elrod can do now in your home? Can they do all the things you do? Of course not. There are some tasks they will be physically or mentally able to do later that just aren’t part of their makeup. For instance, some kids are really good at inside chores but really bad at outside tasks. Use their passions to direct their tasks.

Your child may be the perfect servant leader one day. Or they may be content to stay behind the scenes and work unnoticed. However they are gifted, teach them to serve. As believers we are all equipped through the Holy Spirit to serve somehow. Be very alert to observe where the Spirit is leading them.

Are you someone who is ready to serve? The Lord wants all His children engaged in the Body, but not before you are ready. Be honest enough to tell someone you aren’t ready. Let them know if you need to deal with some stuff first. But don’t just give an excuse. God wants to use you. Why don’t you let Him?

O God, help me identify those who are willing and able to serve. Help me disciple them so they can be used. And also help me to have the discernment about those who quite ready.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Death, Deception, Direction, Eternity, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Satan

TURNING ASIDE

1 TIMOTHY 5:15

“for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.” 

What a sad statement! “For some have already turned aside.” It literally means to turn away from one thing or person to follow another. That’s what they have done. They have chosen to follow Satan. Now, this is not a devotional on losing your salvation. That’s for another time. 

Some people think they can play both sides, but the instant you turn towards Satan, you turn away from Jesus. You cannot follow Satan and follow Jesus. You cannot please Satan and please Jesus. You have to choose. Choose wisely because this is an eternal decision.

APPLICATION

Children will follow easily. That’s why it is so important for you to teach them who to follow. If you don’t, the world will. The world is appealing and exciting. Who doesn’t want to follow that? It has all the bells and whistles. 

Teach your children that all that looks exciting is not. They can always trust where the Lord leads them, even if the path looks dangerous. Following Jesus is not always easy, but it is always fulfilling. Following Jesus may not always be safe, but He will protect them. Teach them to abandon their own despair for His hope.

Who are you following? Remember, one road leads to destruction but looks so inviting. Satan will disguise his path to appear smooth and easy. But boy oh boy, the second you are on the path, he starts setting traps. Then you are caught. Jesus invites you to walk along His blood-stained path. And when the path gets hard, He carries you.

Father, remind me why I follow you. I choose today to follow You wherever You lead.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Forgiveness, God's Will, Gossip, Inspirational, Lies, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT?

1 TIMOTHY 5:13

“At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.” 

Women get the bad reputation of being the gossipers, but have you have been to a barber shop? We men are just as bad, if not worse. Most of that gossip starts out as, “Did you hear about…” Or if the person telling the “news” is a believer, they may say, “Oh brother, we need to pray for…” Either way, it’s gossip.

That word in the Greek is only used right here. It has the idea of a pot that has boiled over, ruining whatever was in it and the area around it. That’s exactly what our gossip does. It ruins stuff, especially the reputation of the one gossiping and the one being gossiped about.

APPLICATION

This is a simple application. If you can’t catch this truth, maybe you need to go back to kindergarten. We teach our children that it is not nice to talk about people, and then we proceed to do it right in front of them. I know I have been guilty of that. Lord, please forgive me. As I said above, as believers we always disguise it as a prayer request, but it’s still gossip.

What would you do if your little Johnny was caught gossiping and spreading stuff about you? You would probably discipline him. So, what should the Lord do to you for doing the same thing? I am not saying He will, but you have definitely grieved His heart. Not living like Jesus grieves the Father’s heart. And we should never want to do that.

Are you a gossiper? Are you a “prayer request” giver? Make sure the news you are sharing about someone is true and appropriate. It may be completely true but is it worthy of sharing. Those little, juicy tidbits are so tempting, aren’t they? Don’t do it. Ask the Lord before you “share” that information. He will let you know if it is appropriate and worthy to be shared.

O Father in heaven, forgive me for gossip. Forgive me for talking about others. Forgive me for letting my desire to look better than someone else lead me to babble and boil over.

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Affection, Bible, Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Passion, Sanctification, Service, Widows

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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Advice, Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, Fatherhood, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Women

RESPONSIBILITIES

1 TIMOTHY 5:8

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

In Book Two of the Every Man A Warrior disciplemaking study, Lonnie Berger says this, “After becoming a Christian, marriage is the most life changing event in your life. When you marry, you give up your life in order to live it for someone else. You work for the other person. You begin to think about permanence, buying a house, saving for the future and providing for your children. You come to a whole new level of maturity.”

The phrase “does not provide” in today’s verse would lead you to think Paul is merely talking about food and shelter. No! The word actually has more to do with what Lonnie said. It’s about respecting your family. It’s about thinking about them first. It’s about acting according to God’s will on behalf of your family. That’s showing responsibility.

APPLICATION

Fathers, teach your sons to be men. Now, I am not taking ANYTHING away from the strength and power of women. We men would be doomed without them. But God intended for men to care for their families. The father is expected to provide for his family. Our society has downgraded that responsibility to the point that some men ignore that.

A real man loves his family. A real man comes home at night to his wife and children. A real man thinks about his family BEFORE he makes his plans. A real man consults his wife BEFORE he makes a purchase that can affect the household budget. A real man follows God.

Do you get the picture? Today’s blog is more directed toward the men, but ladies, you too have a responsibility to put your family before yourself. For most of you that is not a problem. But if it is, stop and correct that. And teach your children the same.

O God, thank You for my family. Thank You for convicting me when I become selfish in my time and energy. I want to please You as I care for my family.

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Advice, Affection, Alone, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Commands, Encouragement, Family, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Widows

PAYBACK CAN BE A GOOD THING

1 TIMOTHY 5:4

“but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.”

I’ve said a number of times how important it is to respect our elders. In today’s verse, we see it again. Paul is telling Timothy that the care of the widows belongs to their family first. Sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters have the first responsibility to care for their widowed parent or grandparent. 

I mean, look at the last phrase of this verse – “for this is acceptable in the sight of God.” This word “acceptable” is only used twice in the New Testament, both times in 1 Timothy (2:3 and 5:4). It means to be gladly received because it is pleasing. You see, when we care for our widowed parent, it pleases God. Who doesn’t want to hear that?

APPLICATION

I truly believe children will take care of their parents in the same way their parents took care of them, for the most part. If we are loving and nurturing to our children, when we are old and in need, they will be loving and nurturing. If we are harsh and cruel, well guess what. They will be harsh and cruel.

God intends for family to care for family. The church steps in to assist when the family isn’t there or refuses to help. Your children can be taught to care for the widows now. Contact your church and ask if there are any widows or widowers who need to be visited. Most churches have a long list. Call and make plans to visit them. It may seem awkward the first time, but your children will brighten their day.

Are you willing to care for your family’s widows? Who in your family needs you right now? Don’t let someone else pick up your God given responsibility. Be obedient and see how pleased God is. Remember, you are doing this not so much for your family member. You are doing it for the Lord.

Thank You Lord, for allowing me to care for those in my family who need me. Remind me that this is all for You, not them. I want to please You.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Commands, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Family, Friends, God's Will, Grace, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Widows, Women

HOW TO HONOR

1 TIMOTHY 5:3

“Honor widows who are widows indeed;” 

Do you know any widows? I am blessed to know a lot of widows. In fact, my widowed mother-in-law lives with my wife and I. I also know a group of widows at the church I serve. They call the group “Women of Grace.” They truly are that. So, when I read this verse, I asked myself if I am honoring them, as God’s Word commands.

First of all, this word “honor” is a command. We are commanded to do this. Secondly, this word means to “assign value (give honor), as it reflects the personal esteem (value, preciousness) attached to it by the beholder.” You will only honor what you value. 

APPLICATION

What or whom do your children honor? What do they place value in? If your child does not honor their elders, they must not place much value on them. But why should we teach them to do this? Well, perhaps because one day that might be you (the widow or widower). Do you want them to value you? Of course, you do.

But also, we teach them this because it is the right thing to do. Widows and widowers have lost their husband or wife and have that gap in the life. As fellow believers we are commanded to come alongside them and make them feel valued and honored for who they are. That is EXACTLY what Christ would do. In fact, He did just that. Even on the cross, He honored His mother by telling John to take care of her.

Is there a widow or widower in your life to whom you need to honor more? Today make an extra effort to do just that. Take them out for a meal. Give them a call. Drop by to say hello and pray with them. Somehow today let them know just how valued they are by you and by their heavenly Father. I promise you will be the one who is blessed by doing this.

Father, show me the widows to whom You want me to honor today. Feel their lives with joy, hope and blessings. Help me to see them as You do.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Creation, Direction, Encouragement, Family, Fatherhood, God's Will, Mentoring, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Purity, Scripture, Women

TREAT THEM HOLY

1 TIMOTHY 5:2

“the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

Treating women special has been around a long time. God has always commanded it. Sin changes that. Look at today’s verse. Paul tells Timothy (and us) to treat women “in all purity.” That word comes from the Greek word for “holy.” Treat them as holy? Really?

Paul isn’t saying we should worship them. He is saying, though, that we should treat them as set apart by God according to His purpose and plan. All women deserve respect. But those who are seeking to follow the Lord in their daily life should also be treated as holy and pure. That’s what God intends for them all.

APPLICATION

As parents we need to instill in our little boys and little girls that girls are different than boys. There is NOTHING belittling about that statement. In fact, it’s meant to be just the opposite. We should let all our daughters, sisters and wives know just how God sees them. They should be treated that way – as special creations in the eyes of our God.

It is up to the husbands, brothers and fathers to do this, however. So, do me a favor. Challenge the men in your life to treat women this way. And dads, YOU have to model this to your sons. They will treat their mom and sisters how you do. They will treat their future wife the way you do. 

So, how are you doing with this? Ladies, do you see yourself as pure? Men, do you see the women in your life as pure? If not, reread today’s verse. This is a command, not a suggestion. If you need to change your view of women, start with God’s view and go no further.

Father, forgive me when I do not see ALL women as you do. Thank You for the godly women you have put in my life. I am blessed because of them.

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