From 1 Timothy 4:1-5
This is a good place to remember that Paul writes this epistle to Timothy, a young pastor in one of the churches Paul had established. Paul is warning Timothy that some of the people in his congregation are going to fall away from the faith. When something like that happens, when someone leaves the faith, many pastors will internalize that and the negative emotions that come with it. There will be fear about the future of the congregation, sadness for the lost person, insecurity about the job he is doing, anxiety for the conversations with others that will follow, among other emotions. Paul is preparing Timothy for that eventuality and, perhaps, giving him some reassurance that those who fall away are not his fault.
Instead, Paul points to a variety of things that can draw people away from faith. There can obviously be an element of spiritual warfare present, but Paul also warns about the influence of people. People can lie and their insincerity can draw people away, people can attach other things to the Gospel and to church that drive people out, and people can fall away when they fail to recognize the gifts that God has given them. The pastor and other leaders of a congregation can strive to combat these voices, but there is only so much they can do. So we give thanks to God for our faith, we put ourselves in positions to strengthen it, and we avoid those voices that could lead us astray.
Focus on God
We are reminded in these verses that God graciously creates all good things.
Function in Our Lives
We are encouraged to do everything we can to strengthen our faith and the faith of those around us.
Topics to Pray About
- Thank God for His Gospel.
- Confess to God the times where you don’t take care of your faith as the gift it is.
- Ask God to bless His church and its mission.
In His Service,
J. LeBorious