This week’s devotions are based on “The Key” Week 6: “Pursue Your Future with Grace!” (WATCH HERE)
Many of us have just finished or are finishing a season this spring of going to high school and college graduations. At these events, there is usually a class speaker or a key note speaker that gives some type of encouragement and advice to the graduates. Often you hear phrases like, “Go out and change the world!” Or, “Follow your dreams!” Or, “Pursue your passions!”
But what if the Apostle Paul were invited to be your keynote speaker at your commencement? What would he say? Perhaps we have a good idea as he wrote to Timothy:
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
In essence, the heart of Paul’s message would be to flee from the materialistic trap that wealth and earthly pursuits can present to you and rather pursue the things of God. I’m not sure how that would come across in today’s commencement culture, but for the Christian, it’s a great verse to guide us in what the Spirit of God desires we pursue with our time, energy and effort.
Pursue Righteousness.
By definition “righteousness” is the right adherence to a standard. For the Christian, it is a following of the law of God, i.e. the will of God. It is the desire of the Christian to more and more align our thoughts, words and actions to the will of God so that in everything we do, we reflect Him to the world.
But it’s not easy.
Just like a doctor doesn’t just decide one day to be a surgeon and the next show up in an operating room to do open heart surgery, a Christian is encouraged to “train in righteousness.”
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Paul reminds us that training in righteousness comes with regular time in the Scripture. Scripture is the tool for training. Little by little, with intentional priority, the word of the Lord communicates the will of the Lord to our heart. And when our heart is filled with the Word of the Lord, the righteousness of God displays itself more and more often. When we pursue righteousness, the power of the Spirit through the Word leads us to live more righteous lives.
Pursue Godliness.
Godliness is being a reflection of God himself because we are in relationship with him. Perhaps a silly example, but when I act in a way that honors and represents well the Geiger family, one might say I am being “Geigerly.” It’s because I have a relationship with my parents and family that I desire to represent our family well and not bring shame on them. Godliness represents God well because he has brought us into relationship with him through the waters of baptism and the power of his Spirit. As God’s children, we want to be who God created us to be: godly.
What does that mean? Paul guides us through his words to Titus (2:11-14):
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Christ purified us and made us to be his own with a resulting reality that we are “eager to do what is good”… to be godly.
Pursuing godliness is pursuing your relationship with Christ. A stronger relationship with Christ drives our desire to represent and reflect Christ in the world around us. As we represent Christ to the world around us, we are seen as godly. Pursue godliness.
The commencement speech isn’t over…look forward to tomorrow to hear the next part of Paul’s encouragement to you!
Apply: Consider the pursuits of righteousness and godliness. What time can you set aside in your day to train in the Word of God and develop your relationship with the Lord? As you do both your life will exhibit more righteousness and godliness to the praise of God himself!
Prayer: Forgive us for our lack of zeal to pursue righteousness and godliness. Spark in us by your Spirit a desire and discipline to daily pursue your word and a relationship with you. We know when we do, you enable us to show righteousness and godliness more prominently. AMEN.