You're Not Alone

Everyone with me... Greet those... With you all... Paul wasn't alone Nor was Titus. They were surrounded by other believers in Christ who walked with them on their faith journey and helped them on their mission.

You, dear reader, are not alone. These words of encouragement that Paul wrote long before you were born are words of encouragement for you too. The Grace of God is for you. You are part of the body of Christ. There are many around you that can encourage you. There are also many around you whom you can encourage. Rejoice in this!

Grace be to you!

Being Ready

Being subject to rulers and authorities may not be something that it attractive to you. Maybe you don't like your current leader. Perhaps you also don't care much for the opposition. Maybe it's the president's policies you don't like. Or maybe it's you think that your local government is out of touch with your wants and needs. Or even you feel frustrated that your HOA won't let you make changes to your property. Regardless, you are subject to them. 

Why should this matter. Because we were created to do good works. Paul wants Titus to be ready to do good works. We should be ready also. The rulers and the authorities are the ones that have the power to allow us to do good. How much good would we do if we got thrown in jail before doing that good? Doing good is our purpose and goal. The rulers and authorities,provide the system in which we should work. Is the system not good enough? Perhaps, perhaps not. If not, what good can you do to help change the system? 

We may want to rail against the government and authorities, but we must keep in mind our end goal of doing good. God wants us to do good. God created us to do good. So be ready to do good. Be subject to the rulers and authorities so that you can be ready.

Be Eager To Do Good

Jesus gave himself. He was willing. He gave all that He had to give - himself. He gave himself do us - not to us. We are the beneficiaries of Jesus giving himself. To set us free. We were in bondage and unable to do what we wanted or needed. To set us free from every kind of lawlessness - completely entangled in sin, subject to every kind of temptation, we were not free. But He has set us free. And He has purified us. He has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. He purified us for himself - it may have been for our benefit, but He alone is the reason that He purified us. We are His people. We belong to Him. He will never leave us or deny us or let us go. As a result of all that He did, we should be eager to do good. Good is not the lawlessness we were bound to. Good is the will of Him who bought us and set us free and purified us. What good does He want you to do today? Do it joyfully. Make opportunities for yourself to do it.

Not Talking Back

We are all servants to something. We may have been born in to it or we may have entered in to it voluntarily. We might be daughters in need of obeying our parents or wives in relationship with our husbands or employees working for "the man." We should joyfully do what is wanted of us because we are obeying God. We should not complain or talk back. Our words belie our hearts. Steve God and serve those he has placed us under. Let your obedience be complete and your words sweet.

To Have A Head Start

In a race, it is sometimes advantageous to have a head start. If the distance is lessened, it becomes easier for you to finish the race. The older women are to give such an advantage to the younger women. Paul is encouraging the older women to train the younger women - even the young girls - to not make the same mistakes they may have made. Nip it in the bud. Don't even let them go ther in the first place. Shape the young girls so that there is no room for slander and drunkenness in their lives. Then the loving of their husbands and the loving of their children will flow naturally. Older women, are you willing to be this kind of influence on the young? Young women, are you willing to follow?

Act Like It

Do you really want to admit that you are getting older. When you're a young child, it is exciting to hold up your fingers and say "I'm this many!" But as age catches up with you, the thrill abates. Do you boast "Woohoo! Another senior discount kicks in with this birthday!"?

God has set us apart for Him. He sent His son to die on the cross so that we could be made holy. We need to live in such a way that we demonstrate that we have been made holy. Our lives should be a witness to what God has done for us. If you've got catty remarks about the woman who spent the whole meeting texting, bite your tongue. Stop it with the drunken selfies that you're posting on Instagram. By the blood of Christ, you've been set apart and made holy. Act like it'

Don't Deny It

You know the type. They brag about how they know God, but when you watch them, they sure don't act it. Maybe they've got a fish on the back of their car and you see them driving aggressively down your street. Maybe they're your daughter's Sunday school teacher and you see them drunk at the ballgame. Maybe she's the one who sits next to you in women's Bible study and she's had a long day, her kids have been disobedient and her husband is away on a business trip and she got angry at you for seemingly no reason.

It could be anyone. It could be you. Strive to know God. But, remember at all times, He is watching. Let your actions display your love for God, not deny it.

Instead

Instead can be such a powerful word. Contrasting bad choices and good choices. Contrasting wrong and right.

We've seen some things in the previous verses that an elder should be but most recently we've seen some things an elder definitely should not be. Here we see a few traits that an elder should have. We can't all be elders, but these are characteristics worthy for us all to pursue.

Are you hospitable? Do you welcome people into your home? Do people feel at home and comfortable when they are with you? This is to be admired.

Are you devoted to what is good? Or are you consumed by the next project that needs to get done around the house? Do people know you by what show you're currently binge watching? Be devoted to what is good. Let it be evident in your life.

Are you sensible or are you known for making outlandish choices? Do you do things and instantly regret it or do you you look back on your day and smile because of a job well done? Do your feet ache at the end of the day because you've dashing about in your fashionable heels or de you feel like you can go another mile in your sensible shoes? Common sense seems uncommon these days, but it should be common to you.

Are you upright or are you down and dirty? Are you righteous or are you known as a sinner? We all know that we are sinners. But we also know that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Don't be down and dirty, dear reader, be clean!

Are you devout? It should be obvious where your loyalties lie. You cannot serve both God and money. Your pursuit of holiness should show in your life. Let there not be any hint of unfaithfulness in you.

Self-controlled. Sometimes self-control is hard to maintain. But self-control comes from God. That may seem paradoxical, but it's not. The closer we come to God, the more Christlike we become, the less influence other things have in our lives. The more we see Jesus, the less we see distractions. The more we become focussed on our Father, the easier it is to maintain our peace when temptation comes our way. Seek ye first the kingdom of God... and self-control will follow.

God wants all of this for you. Seek Him and He will provide.

To Further The Faith

How is your faith in Christ? Is it strong? Is it growing? Do you seek to share it with those around you?

If you have faith in Christ, you should want it to be growing. You should be doing things to cause it to grow. You should be reading His Word. You should be meditating on it. You should be praying. You should be loving others. You should be serving Christ.

A faith like that should love in such a way that you want to see others grow closer to God. Are you in fellowship with other believers? Are you in close relationship with others that they know of your faith and how it guides you through life? Are you close enough to others that you know their struggles and do you desire to see them get through them? Do you care enough of others that you know of their hopes and dreams? Are you praying for them? What are you doing to help them accomplish them?

This takes vulnerability. This takes being open and close to fellow believers. To further the faith of God's chosen ones,you must have faith and you must know God's chosen ones.

Pray that God would use you to help grow the faith of those that you know.