I know it's been a while .... :)

It’s been wild and crazy here.  I have been keeping caught up with the reading, but have not had the time to sit and write devotionals.  :)

Today, though, let’s briefly look at I Timothy 6:11:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.  Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. (ESV)

Who is the “man of God?”  Paul is speaking to his protege Timothy.  Matthew Henry says this passage refers to Ministers (with a capital “M”).  John Wesley, in his commentary of the Bible, states this also applies to “a man devoted to God.”  For our purposes, we are assuming this applies to any who are “devoted to God”...including you and me!

Now, let’s briefly look at the “things” the “man of God” is to “flee?”  Look at verses 3 through 10 and see that it includes doctrine not based on the teachings of Jesus, conceit, unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels about words, envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, constant friction among people, and the love of money. 

What should be pursued (“to seek eagerly”) in place of these things? 

righteousness - the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting

godliness - reverence, respect, piety toward God

faith - conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God; the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ;  a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God

love - affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love

steadfastness - constancy, endurance, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings, a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

gentleness -  mildness, meekness

So - how do we pursue all of these things in our everyday lives?  (Comments, as always, are warmly welcomed!)

(Definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)