January 20, 2022 A GOOD POSTURE FOR LIFE
I Timothy 2:1-5 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties, and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quite life in all goodness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God and our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time.”
It is refreshing to know that the life that God has for those who love Him is really quite simple.
The cost of us having this life available to us was great; it required the sacrifice of Jesus as a ransom for us. Many have a tendency to complicate life; we try to ‘fix’ things and we try to ‘fix’ people; we get anxious and ‘up tight’ over things we have no control over; and many get depressed and dispressed when things do not go as they thought or hoped they would; and many spend a lot of time and energy for that which does not satisfy. A counter-culture truth to be reminded of is that it is good in the sight of God to lead a “tranquil and quite life in all goodness and dignity.” God tells us to make entreaties, prayers and petitions and thanksgiving on behalf of all men that we may experience such a life. This is not to say that we will not experience trials and difficulties in life-because we will. Quite simply, God desires that “all men to come to the knowledge of truth.” That should be the focus of our prayers; we are not called to judge others or to criticize or to look down on-but to pray that they would come to know God as Savior. The beauty of praying in such a way is that it takes the pressure off of us by putting others in the providence of God. Again, we are not called to fix people, but to pray for them. We can give godly council and comfort, and we feel the pain that others may be enduring, but the greatest thing we can do is to ask God to intervene and reveal truth to those who do not know the truth-and then leave the results up to God. It is a matter of us knowing our place in the kingdom of God; we are light and salt, but He is the One that works miracles and changes lives-we get to be involved in the process. It is amazing-a true miracle-that even though we live in this ‘up-side down’ world that does not know God and a world with all of its problems and brokenness, we can ‘live and move and have our being’ on earth as members of the kingdom of God; instead of being overcome with the darkness of this world, because we are light, we overcome the darkness with light. “But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overcome you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night nor of darkness; so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
Romans 1:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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