Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Thursday, July 14, 2016

QT 14 Jul 16, 1 Tim 6:11, Do we plan how to be men of God?

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) — 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

NOTE: In contrast to pursuing riches and the resulting pangs, Paul encourages Timothy to pursue spiritual values. I can't say that I have ever thought about this list of seven pursuits (seven, because flee is a negative pursuit). So what are some practical ideas?
  1. Flee the pursuit of money. Increase my giving. It is hard to fall in love with money if I am giving it away.
  2. Pursue righteousness. Doing the right thing even when it is hard. Showing integrity at work and not cutting corners.
  3. Pursue godliness. This means becoming like Jesus and most importantly it means loving others. Make time for other people. Get out of my comfort zone. Invite people over to dinner or take them out for lunch.
  4. Pursue faith. For myself, faith grows as I continue to grow in the word of God. Finish reading through the bible for this year. I'm stuck in November of a 12 month plan. That will make 12 times I have read through the bible which is not very good considering I have been a Christian for 40 years.
  5. Pursue love. I obviously don't know the difference between godliness (being like Jesus) and love. Godliness is much broader. But for love I need to focus on serving others. That is how Jesus showed the full extent of his love. Also obedience to God's commands are how we show are love to him.
  6. Pursue steadfastness. Interesting, where am I not steadfast? Possibly in letting my emotions dictate purchases at times. Maybe in self-control or a lack of self-control. I give in to my body too often and I need to say no to the desires of the flesh.
  7. Pursue gentleness. This is a heart-felt desire and love of mine. It may be the one thing I do well. But I still have a habit of thinking other drivers are idiots when they cut me off on the road. Even if they don't know my response, I need to cultivate a kinder thought toward them.
This is a useful exercise for anyone desiring to walk with God.
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