1 Timothy 5: Caring for Family and Maturity

Caring for Family and Maturity

Paul gives instruction for how the church ought to operate. There are things in here that I have seen people try to burden the church with, but the family should be the first to tend to a family member's needs before the church. Paul says those that do not provide for their family are worse than unbelievers (1 Timothy 5:8). Paul refers to true widows. Upon further reading from Dave Guzik, true widow meant a widow without children. If she had children, then they should help their mother out. And the part comes up that some may consider sexist, but I think it speaks more to a generalization of younger women during this time than an application for all young women at all times. But on the flip side, I know many people who say in their later years that they had to grow up from who they were when they were younger, which is what it seems like Paul is referring to here in verses 11-15. He says not to enroll/take financial care of younger widows as they have the opportunity to get married again and won't need the help as much as older widows would. But in verse 13 Paul basically calls out the young women for going from house to house (sleeping around), gossiping and being nosy. Paul wants what's best in God's eyes that shows the church to be in good standing.
 

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Friday Focus #33

Out With the Old

I'm sure you have heard the saying, "out with the old, in with the new." It is referencing getting rid of old things like junk in the closet, the garage or that old storage unit that sucks up $50 a month from you. I ask you this, is the stuff that you have so worth hanging on to that you will let it waste money in your bank account? Is there space in your house that you could use that is being taken up by junk? Are there habits and attitudes and old ways of thinking that are keeping you from being a stronger follower of Christ?

I know that sometimes these verse may not make much sense, but the context of them does help explain them. For instance, in Romans 6:4, (see the image below) sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but it is telling you that the act of baptism is a representation of the death of the old way and the birth of the new way. The old is apart from Christ while the new is walking with him. I can tell you from my own personal experiences that after my baptism I still did things that I knew were not right in God's eyes, but it took some time to over come that. But that can be part of the process. We do have to be mindful of that and not let it become an excuse to stay in the old, but as a reminder to walk in the new.

One of my favorite illustrations is in regard to the new wine being poured into old wineskins found in Matthew 9:14-17. New wins being poured into an old wineskin would be a waste as the process that created the new wine would make the old bag expand past its limits and burst/break. Therefore the new wine would spill and the old bag would be useless. God's blessing cannot be poured into your life with old ways of thinking, being and behaving. You have to submit to the will of God. There will be some changes but they are for your own good for God's glory.

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John 20: The Resurrection

The Resurrection

The Resurrection of Christ (to me) is symbolic of how our former lives were and our current lives are after we accept God's will fully into our lives and submit to His will (James 4:7).

Mary Magdalene, John, Peter and Simon Peter went to the tomb to check on Jesus but he was no longer there (John 20:1-4).

The pieces of clothing that he was buried in were left in the tomb and folded neatly and left behind by Jesus (John 20:6-7).

When we set our hearts and minds and souls on being fully sacrificial to God's will, we too can leave the old ways behind us like Jesus left behind the linen cloths from his burial. Those burial cloths represent what was, not what is. People we knew before full obedience to God come to see us, metaphorically speaking, it seems like we are not there. We are not the same. We are different. Our submission is to God's will, not the way things used to be. They can only see pieces (similar to memories) of what used to be us, just like the burial clothes of Jesus. We are made new through the power of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

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Wednesday Wake Up #7

Why Look Back?

I have a personal testimony that is quite long and would take an entire conversation to cover every part of it. Also, my testimony is not over yet. God is still directing my steps. It is up to me to follow them. And when I don't follow those steps that He lays before and my selfishness redirects me to another path, God jumps right back in and lays another path before me. Once again, it is up to me to be obedient to His word and do what it is that Has commanded me to do (John 14:15).

I bring up this topic because in a conversation I had with a friend the other day about regrets in life. We were talking about what life would be if "this" happened instead of "that." While I do struggle with how nice things would have been if I worked at this company or finished school sooner or gone to school elsewhere or had been married to an ex-girlfriend, I also realize that I am in life where God needs me to be to do the work He has commanded me to do. While I do not know where life would have taken me had past things worked out a certain way, it also doesn't matter to even think about it. I am a different person today than I was 15 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and 2 years ago. I can appreciate where I am even if I do not like all the parts (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In Genesis 19, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for not having righteous people in it. God spared Abraham's family and God's angels told Abraham's family not to look back at the city as it was being destroyed or they would turn into pillars of salt. Lot's wife looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah and did the opposite of what she was instructed and turned into a pillar of salt.

It is one thing to look back at life and appreciate where you have been and stay faithful in the path God has laid before you, but is another to see your past life (before following Christ) and wish it was that instead of where God has you now (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

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Mark 2:21-22- Are You Ready?

New Wine in Old Wine Skins

I like this section of Mark 2 of the text because it seems to really call out people who say they are ready for something new, but they have not discarded of the old. Remember when I mentioned the other day the part about praying for more money but still having the same old ways? Well, the same idea can apply here too.

Jesus was being questioned about why his disciple's didn't fast. They could not fast as he was still with them and they could fast once he was gone as John the Baptist's disciples fasted after he was dead. It is not that Jesus was against fasting but there was an appropriate time to do it. From there Jesus goes in to explain how old wine skins cannot be used for new wine. New wine, while fermenting would burst an old wine skin. The new cannot be poured until the old, it must go into the new.

How does that relate to my previous example of money? If you are going to continue to do the same things you have been doing then why would God bless that? The new (more money) would end up depleted if new ways (saving, investing, cutting spending, shopping for less wants) are not implemented. How does that relate to Jesus? You want Jesus to bless you but you have not committed to him. You keep wondering why things are not what you want them to be...because IT ISN'T ABOUT YOUR WANTS! If you are not ready for the new then you may as well keep the old because that is all you are prepared for. Be ready for what God wants in you..

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