Aloha and welcome to another edition of TCD. This week we begin the book of 1st Timothy.
How often have you had disagreements fester over what are in truth inconsequential details? How many times have you argued with someone only to realize you are saying the same thing from a different perspective? I hope I am not alone in admitting this happens to me on at least a weekly basis. But the encouragement is that we aren't without hope. In this, the introductory chapter of Timothy, Paul provides insight to his apprentice on just this topic.
“The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip.”
As we become self-important and appoint ourselves experts it is easy to lose focus. We often sack the big picture, rebrand it as sophomoric because 'anyone' can understand it, and search for a deeper understanding. Unfortunately, we often elect to magnify nuances out of perspective that drive our personal agendas. The truth is that the big picture in our approach to life is vital, for it binds all the details, provides context, and supplies a cohesive narrative.
In Paul's day, as now, people appointed themselves 'religious experts.' They claimed to find the 'hidden' code in Jesus' message and hyper-focused on seemingly arbitrary details about his life. But the problem, as Paul highlights, is that they'd forgotten the context and storyline. You can examine the details ad nauseam, but the beauty of the message Jesus brought is it's simplicity: love. His message was simply to love God and love each other. His life, his parables, and his teachings all point to the pervasive theme of love.
And when you consider it, you would be hard-pressed to find a scenario in which the fundamental action of love is not applicable in some sense. Paul urges us all to come back to center, to let go of our trivial differences of understanding and recognize that we are all on the same team.
“It’s true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say.”
How we say something to someone is incredibly important. Think back to a time someone gave you feedback that truly upset you. Was it the feedback they gave you or was it the manner in which it was presented that frustrated you? I'd venture to say it was the latter. Conversely, how many times have we been the one who pronounced judgement yet failed to lace it with love? Paul is arming Timothy with the tools and tendencies to be a successful leader and wants to ensure he understands how important context is. The lessons he presents are directly applicable to our lives today.
Is summary, love should remain at the forefront of our minds, framing our actions and interactions with others. We should remain humble and not miss the forest for the trees. We have been provided a supreme example in the life of Jesus and should seek to seek to emulate him on a daily basis.
I hope you have a great week and stay encouraged. Be sure to like the post and share it with a friend.
-the contrary disciple