Day 1085: What am I pursuing? - 1 Timothy 6 vs 6-12

6-8 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9-10 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6-12 English Standard Version

Some people imagined that godliness was a means of great gain, but they had lost the focus of what this great gain was. Perhaps they based their thoughts on Old Testament verses, such as Psalm 112:1-3, where we read: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures for ever.” The reward of the righteous was often portrayed in physical ways. The man Job, for example, was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” – and “he was the greatest man among all the people of the East.” (Job 1:1&3)

But the New Testament brought in a new dimension. When asked by soldiers what they should do to show repentance towards God, John the Baptist had replied: “Don't extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” (Luke 3:14) And Jesus said that it was “easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to get to heaven!” (Luke 18:25) So what did Paul say about those whose life's pursuit, whose greatest ambition, was the wealth of this world? (vs 9-10)

He said that such a pursuit would lead them into temptations and snares, and they would have harmful desires that will plunge them into ruin and destruction. It was such a craving that led many people to compromise their faith. Jesus said “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:23) It's the love of riches that leads us astray.

If not riches, what then shall we pursue? Paul gives the answer in vs 11.

He tells Timothy to flee from the pursuit of riches. This suggests that the early Church already had those who believed that Christianity was all about making money. But, says Paul, there are better things to set as our goal in life. We should long to be righteous and godly. We should eagerly desire to have faith that abounds with love. Our hearts ambition should be to become steadfast and gentle. And such things don't come naturally, we need to pursue them in the same way as the man who pursues treasure.

Paul takes Timothy back to his conversion days. He urges him to 'take hold' of the eternal life to which he had been called. It's the same word used for when Jesus 'took hold' of Peter's hand when he was sinking in the waves. (Matthew 14:31) Timothy was to take hold of eternal life in the same way Jesus had taken hold of him. And Timothy had made that good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

This takes us back to our own conversion. We may have been very young, or very old. But was there a time when we took hold of Jesus? Did we confess Him to be our saviour and our Lord? If so, how has our journey been? Have we been sidetracked by the riches of this world? Or are we pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Are we in the good fight of the faith? May it be true of us.