2 Timothy 2:22 “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

HOT PURSUITS

Have you ever heard the statement, “Before you are saved you chase sin, but after you are saved, sin chases you”? This verse basically says the same thing. Paul is telling Timothy to run from sin, all those youthful lusts. He doesn’t name them, but I am sure he and Timothy had the conversation before during those years Timothy traveled with him and was mentored by him.

But then Paul tells him what to chase. Righteousness, faith, love and peace are worthy goals to go after. And the more we chase those things, the less we want to chase the wrong things. These four pursuits will cause us to be more and more like Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our race.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, how do we as parents point our children into the correct lane in this race? Well, we have to get in the lane next to them. We have to show them how to pursue these things. We have to show them how to keep our eyes on the prize (the upward call of Christ). We have to help pace them because it is a long race. Then after they have learned from us we can revert to a place of cheering them on from the stands. They have to learn to run the race themselves. And when they fall, and they will, we need to be there to pick them up and point out, if necessary, how they fell.

Too many parents today keep picking up their fallen kids without pointing out the cause of the fall. These parents don’t want to make little Elrod feel any worse, so they just pick him up, bandage his knee and help him on the track again. There is always a cause for the fall. Some of those falls are accidental, but others….well, they choose those. Those are the ones we must point out and hold them accountable for.

How are you doing in your race today? Are you pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace? I promise Satan will try to get your eyes off the good things and back on the bad things. That’s just his way. But we have the power to stay on task if we let Jesus run the race through us. Let Him run!

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”

FINALLY

What does it mean when a preacher says, “In conclusion…”? Absolutely nothing. I have heard preachers preach their “final point” longer than the rest of the sermon. Lol. But seriously, sometimes we drag on and on and on with something until people just stop listening. Solomon seemed to know that. Not only does he wrap up this book, but he also summarizes all that he just said.

His conclusion about life: Fear God and keep His commandments. Think about that. Is it really that simple? Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all our hearts, minds and soul. If you do that you will fear God and keep His commandments. Solomon was essentially quoting Jesus. Do you agree?

TEACHING MOMENT

Don’t you want your children to mind? Teaching our children to obey is also preparing them to obey the Lord. Submission to authority (fear and respect) is godly. Our children must learn that we have been placed in an authoritative role in their life for a purpose. We are teaching them obedience which is a trait that will follow them all through life.

I don’t mean we demand obedience without the teaching part. We love our children, but we must be consistent and true to God’s principles ourselves. Our children need to see us being obedient, especially when we don’t want to be. Submission is a characteristic that is caught more than taught. We could “beat” them into submission (I don’t mean physically), but they won’t learn to submit until they are willing to die to their self. Yes, little Gertrude has a self will. If you don’t believe me, just ask her.

Will you submit and fear the Lord today? Will you keep His commandents – all of them? Will you be the example of submission for your children? Will you teach them the great privilege of submission? In the end, it will all be judged, just like Solomon said.

2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

OLD HYMNS

If you have any church experience you probably recognize the last half of that verse as a hymn you sang in church. “For I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” Daniel Whittle wrote this hymn back in 1883. Check out the full hymn with this link. http://www.hymnary.org/text/i_know_not_why_gods_wondrous_grace_to_me

But I am curious why he left out the first half of the verse in the hymn. If he was like me, he probably didn’t want to talk much about suffering. Who does? Paul knew suffering, but he tells Timothy here that he is NOT ashamed of it. Then he tells him why in the last half of the verse. Are you ashamed of the suffering the Lord allows you to go through? Don’t be. It is all for a purpose.

TEACHING MOMENT

But how in the world do we teach our children the value of suffering? I mean, who wants to see their children suffer? No one does. But when it comes, and it will, embrace it. What? I mean remember the last part of this verse. He is able to keep us! We can’t keep ourselves. Our children have to learn that, and the only way is to go through the suffering.

Are you suffering right now? What is the Lord allowing you to learn right now in the midst of your suffering? What are others, especially your children, learning by watching you go through sufferings? Now that is the real question, isn’t it? Do others see Jesus in you? Do others see you trusting Him faithfully. Your faith does not come of yourself. Faith comes from trusting HIS faithfulness. He will never leave you or forsake you. Remember that!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”

HI-O SILVER

I grew up watching that Western Hero, The Lone Ranger. But it was always curious to me – he wasn’t alone. He had Tonto, his Native American sidekick. Even the Lone Ranger wasn’t a lone ranger.

These verses in Ecclesiastes are so important for believers. We NEED each other. We need the Church. We need fellow believers to go through this journey together. I am often puzzled when I see unbelievers trying to “do life” without help. I can’t imagine going through life’s challenges without a network of friends and loved ones.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children must learn the importance of community. Most kids grow up with friends, but when they finish school, the friendships drift apart. They go to different colleges or move away for a job. Phone calls and texts suffice for a while, but gradually they get less frequent until they finally stop. Making new friends in a new town can be hard. Before you know it they don’t have that group of friends to call on when needed.

Help your kids develop those lifelong friends. They need them. Help them stay in touch with those godly classmates, if possible. Pray for God to surround them with a “family” when they move away. Pray they will reach out for like-minded individuals.

Life is hard, but it is impossible without others in your life whom you can call when you are in need. And believe me, you will be in need at some point. Let the Lord show you who to link arms with as you travel this earthly journey with Christ. He will guide you to those He wants you to get to know.

I Timothy 6:11 “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”

DO I HAVE TO BE?

You know, when I read this verse I am good with all these things Paul lists here – except the last one – gentleness. Now I know that is one of the fruits of the Spirit. But come on – gentleness – really?

In this day it seems to me that if you are gentle, you get run over. People take advantage of you. You get pushed around. You can be snookered. I could continue but you get the drift.

But…..as I look at the others character traits he tells me to pursue I quickly realize that all of them build on the last. If I pursue righteousness, I will gain godliness. If I am godly in character, I will have the faith I need. If I have faithful, love is produced in me through the Holy Spirit. If I love all, I can persevere through anything. And if I know I can persevere, I can have that gentle quiet spirit because I rest in God.

TEACHING MOMENT

How about you? How are you teaching gentleness to your children? That is not easy. Once again, you have to model it. You have to point it out to them when you see others demonstrating gentleness. Boys, especially, have to be taught that being gentle is NOT being weak. Jesus Himself said “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” If Jesus, the Son of God, called Himself gentle we should embrace that characteristic.

I am getting on a plane tomorrow. Pray that I will be gentle as I go through the hassles of air travel. I want to be the gentle one on the plane. I want to be observed as gentle, but more than that, I want to be gentle in spirit so that it comes from the inside. Since Jesus lives through me, that shouldn’t be a problem if I will just get out of the way.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven- 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 3 A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up. 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. 5 A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing. 6 A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away. 7 A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. 8 A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace.”

WHAT’S YOUR TIME?

This is a longer passage than normal for today. I usually just pick one or two verses, but you really cannot separate these verses from each other. Solomon gives us a great thought here. Just what time are you in right now? Read the passage again. Reflect on where you are right now in your walk with Christ.

As we watch our children go through the “times” of their lives we want to intervene. We want to spare them the hard times, don’t we? But the Lord says here that we will go through these times. It is just part of life. See verse 1 again. “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-“ Everything! Every event!

TEACHING MOMENT

So how do we prepare our children for these events? We teach them to trust Him. Whatever we face, God’s got this. We have just got to show them how to trust by trusting ourselves. We have to “allow” our children to face these times in their lives. We have to “let them go” and let God handle it. By showing trust, they learn trust.

So, I’ll ask you again. What “time” are you in right now? Are you trusting Him in it? If not, why? If so, what is He teaching you? Learn to obey and you will learn by obeying. Hmmmm. I might just write that one down.

I Timothy 4:7-8 “7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

LIFT, LIFT, LIFT

I have mentioned before that I go to the gym just about every day. Why? Because I am getting older and have to work harder to keep my old body in some kind of shape. I keep telling myself, “Round is a shape.” Lol.

But this verse reminds me that all the bodily exercise I do (the word “discipline” in these verses is where we get our word for gymnasium) means nothing eternally. I should instead be doing spiritual exercises to build godliness. Physical muscles fail. Spiritual muscles are eternal. And just like building physical muscles takes weight and resistance, spiritual muscles are built through adversity.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, Mom and Dad, consider yourself trainers for your children. Just like you might hire a trainer to help you get in shape physically, God has put you in charge of your child’s spiritual training. It is up to you to give the environment and opportunities for your child to build those spiritual muscles. That means you can’t intervene at every challenge thrown at them. That “resistance” and “weight” they are encountering will help them build spiritual strength. You need to show them how to “lift” it properly by relying on the Lord, but you can’t lift it for them.

Speaking of lifting – what are you lifting right now? What is the weight that has you struggling? Are you trying to handle it all by yourself? Are you struggling to maintain proper form as you lift? Why not let the Lord be your spotter? You know what a spotter is, don’t you? That is the person at the gym who is right beside you when you are lifting a heavy weight. They not only keep you safe, in case the weight is too much for you, but they also encourage you as you lift. God is a great spotter and is always reliable. He won’t get distracted as you carry that weight. In fact, He will never leave your side. And in the end, you are stronger for it.

Be strong, my friend.

Proverbs: 29:15,17 “15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother. 17 Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; He will also delight your soul.”

OUT OF CONTROL

How many times have you seen it? Little Gertrude or Elrod are in the shopping cart in the check out line with Mom. They see candy in that rack by the register (I think the people who set those up right there are spawns of Satan tempting all of us, lol) and they start pitching a fit to have that piece of candy. Mom gives in to calm the child and bam – the child has gotten his/her way. Chalk one up for Junior.

This verse is even stronger than it seems at first glance. The word “rod” can be translated as club or staff. In other words, spanking is not a problem. Reproof and correction is honored. Children who get their own way bring shame to their parents. But when they are corrected it says that bring comfort to their parents’ soul. I just love that picture.

TEACHING MOMENT

How are you disciplining your child? Are you letting them “get by” with stuff because they are just so darned cute? Are you jumping through hoops to keep them happy? Are they controlling the household by their fits? I have seen that way too many times. I’ve seen parents stay up until the child decided to fall asleep at 1 or 2 in the morning. Never mind that Mom or Dad has to get up to go to work at 6 a.m. As long as Junior is happy! Right!

Don’t take this as my advice. This is right from God’s Word. He is our heavenly Father and only wants what is best for His children, including your children. Trust Him to direct you to discipline your children according to His Word. Let His Word guide you as you discover what works best for your child. But whatever you do, be the adult. Set the rules. Establish the guidelines in your home that God would want you to have. In that you please Him.

I Timothy 2:9-10 “9Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”

DRESS CODE

Call me prudish, but it seems modesty has gone the way of the horse drawn wagon. I am constantly amazed at even the “church going” ladies who dress in away that is immodest and alluring. Please hear me out. I am not calling for high-collared, ankle length dresses. But I do wish women and young ladies would stop and take a look at the mirror before they leave the house.

The Greek word for “modesty” in verse 9 is only used here in the New Testament. It can be translated as “sense of shame,” but really means to prevent a shameful act. Isn’t that interesting. We should encourage godly women to dress in such a way to prevent a shameful act. Now that gives a clearer picture of what Paul is saying here.

TEACHING MOMENT

Moms and Dads, how do you dress your children? Do you dress them modestly when they are young? Of course you do. So why in the world would allow them when they get older to not follow those same standards? All around us we see images of men and women dressing in provocative clothing. The world bombards us with sexual images while advertising clothing. Modesty plays NO PART in today’s clothing advertisements.

May I encourage you today to take that second look in the mirror before you go out the door? Will you monitor your child’s appearance before they leave the house? Ask yourself if the Lord would be pleased in the way you are dressed today.

Everything we do should point others to Christ.

We way we dress and present ourselves is included. If anything we wear (or should I say not wear) causes someone else to stumble, we need to change our wardrobe. God will be honored in our choices, I am sure.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

SWEETNESS

I think we all know this verse. Even a lot of unbelievers have heard this verse. We claim this verse when we see Christian parents’ children starting to go astray. We know that the Word we have planted in their hearts will not…what? Come back void or empty.

But this word translated as “train” has an interesting meaning. It was a word used to describe teaching a newborn to initiate the sucking motion. They would rub chewed dates on the palate (roof) of the mouth. The baby would then put his tongue on the palate to get the sweet date flavor, thus imitating the position that the tongue needed to be in to nurse. Of course, this was necessary for survival. If a baby couldn’t nurse, they would die.

TEACHING MOMENT

How much more appropriate is it for us to teach our children spiritual survival skills. They may survive physically without God’s principles, but they will die spiritually. What parent wants to envision their child doing that? None. We all want our children to come to know Christ and grow in knowledge of Him.

So, what are you “rubbing on the palate” of your children? Are you rubbing sour lemons through your demeanor and attitude? Are you rubbing the sweet flavor of Christ that draws them to you and Him? Do you tell them to do what you say without living it yourself? Our children will want to “nurse” on the sweetness of God’s Word if we show them how good it tastes and how much it does for us. We must continue to feed ourselves as we are encouraging them to feed also.

I believe if we are faithful to live it AND preach it to our children, if and when they do stray, they will not be able to escape the drawing power of God. He will woo them home. They will recognize that voice. They will remember the sweet flavor of His Word on their palate. How sweet it is!