My Reflections on 1 Timothy

I've been going through 1 Timothy with my wonderful girlfriend recently and I thought now would be a good time to post some of my reflections on it.

There were two things that really hit me about 1 timothy this time. The first was:


The fact that desiring the position of overseer is a noble task. 

I really felt that this is something I should pursue for myself, and as such the characteristics that Paul lists.

• above reproach
• the husband of only one wife
• sober-minder
• self-controlled
• respectable
• hospitable
• able to teach
• not a drunkard
• not violent but gentle
• not quarrelsome
• not a lover of money
• manage his household well
• keep his children disciplined
• moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders

These are the criteria I want to be judged on. 

In some of these they don't directly apply (I don't have any wives...yet, though obviously this would mean 1 girlfriend and to be committed to that relationship and I don't have any children!) however, others are areas which I can judge myself on right now.

Am I a lover of money? This has been an area which I have really been challenging myself on this year and I am certainly improving and trusting god more over money. Am I there yet? Have I defeated the god of money? I hope so but I do still greed in my life so I can't honestly say i'm there yet.

The other are is Paul's charge to Timothy.

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

 It's a call to be the best person he can be, to not waste time but to live the good life. Sometimes it can be really easy to excuse wasting time on the basis of needing a rest or having done enough good for this week but this can't be the case. I'm not saying that we have to be slaving away all the time [and we definitely need to be able to say no to certain requests] but rather it's when people just expect things to fall into place.

I know this because I can be guilty of it, I can just say that I'm living a good life, not doing anything too bad, that's good enough right? However I'm not really pursing anything. That's the important thing, Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

So those are my two things from 1 Timothy.

 Why not read it and share your thoughts? How are you doing at these things?