1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
The things that Paul challenges Timothy to flee are things related to a
desire for riches. Rather than making riches his pursuit, he is called to
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. It
makes me wonder what my own pursuits are. We don’t want to spend most of our
time looking inward when we should be looking at Jesus, but a little introspection
is good from time to time. What am I truthfully pursuing? What is my heart set
on? Paul indicates that those who had there hearts set on money and stuff “wandered
away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Tim 6:10). That is what a lack of contentment does. That
is where a focus on money, wealth, personal peace and affluence does for us. It
causes us to wander away from our faith. Notice that it does not say that they
ran away from their faith, or that they rebelled against their faith. They
wandered away. There was not an intentional leaving of the faith, but their focus
on money and stuff caused them to gradually move away from the faith. It is
good then for us to regularly ask ourselves, “Where is my heart? What am I
truly pursuing?” Maybe we even need to turn back from our wandering and ask
ourselves which way the Shepherd went? “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
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