Paul warned Timothy that the enemy sets traps for us to fall into, such as the love of money. But as God’s children, we must aim for and pursue righteousness. If you have had children, sometimes they push the envelope without getting into trouble but coming close. If we push the envelope too close to something sinful, we will sooner or later fall into it. Paul urges Timothy not to aim at what will entangle him but to aim at and pursue what leads to righteous living.
Money is a trap the enemy has used throughout time to distract people from what is essential in life. 1 Timothy 6:9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.[1] Knowing the enemy’s strategy alerts us that we are in a spiritual battle and must heed God’s warnings.
Pursue Righteousness
What we pursue and fill our minds with is what we become. To pursue righteousness is to make a daily effort to follow the ways of the Lord, as Jesus tells us. Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.[2] Jesus knows that our battle in the spiritual realm is daily, and we need to focus on Him and pick up the cross each day to follow him.
Each day, when we pick up the cross, we refocus on our pursuit of the Lord that day. 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. [3] The Holy Spirit, who dwells in every believer, is our daily guide, prompting us to pursue righteousness and warning us so we run away from temptation. As we seek the Lord, a natural outcome is growing in faith and fruits of the Spirit.
Fight the Good Fight of the Faith
To further the good news of Jesus is a fight or battle but a good and ongoing one. Our enemy, satan, does not take time off in his pursuit of evil and continues to look for weaknesses that he can exploit. Christian service takes time, effort, and sacrifice, but building the Lord’s Kingdom is worth it. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.[4]
The prize for every believer is eternal life, a reward beyond our imagination. The Lord has called each believer to faith and wants us to live for Him. Living for the Lord is another way of pursuing the Lord instead of our plan or desires. As you seek the Lord, move forward with active faith, obeying God with the courage He gives you. Aim for and pursue righteousness. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/lead-yourself
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.