The Running Man

But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)

The difference between a good run and bad stand is like knowing whether we're coming or going.  Some things you run toward and some things you run away from. Wisdom will tell us when we've run far enough.  Timothy is told to flee…not to walk briskly away in a different direction…or stand fast in the midst of…but flee! What are the things that he was warned to flee from? Meaningless and mindless controversies that distract from the gospel message. Imagine spending precious time in speculations about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin, or how much seed money we can invest till the Lord is obligated to bring an exponential return of our investment. We may laugh at such things but dissertations have been written and endless discussions have occurred over these things and many more like them. As faithful ministers of the gospel, we are to run away from these entanglements and distractions that rob us of reflecting and teaching the glorious truths of the gospel. We are to run away from these things because in many cases we are in conversations with fools and in danger of being trapped into silence. Fools seek arguments. Wise people seek wisdom. Wise people flee toward Jesus. Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness are found in Christ. When I run to Him I get a mental picture of a child running toward a parent, laughing all the way. The character of the man of God is framed here in the context of this verse. When a man looks like Jesus, he will look like this. The last two qualities are instructive for us. Perseverance is also translated steadfastness. This is an old word and not one you hear much about these days. In our culture of rapid change, people tell us that the only way to success is to be easily adaptable and ready to change. Don’t become rooted in an unchanging mindset. Perseverance is a word that tells us to stand where God stands…stand fast to be steadfast. To sing the refrain of an old song… I shall not be...I shall not be moved; I shall not be...I shall not be moved; Just like a tree that's planted by the waters...Lord, I shall not be moved. For a person to have perseverance, a strength to stand in place no matter what, one would think that a stubborn and unyielding spirit and even a hardness might be beneficial. Then bring gentleness into the mix and you have a combination only the Lord can bring about. Each one of these words are tempered by the next. A righteous man may be self righteous, but godliness will give direction. A godly man will be a faithful man, faithful to God’s principles rather than man’s preferences. A practical faith is not practicing godly faith unless it is acted out in love. And a loving man may have a tendency to always say yes to those who may need to hear no, especially when practicing discipline with a loved one. Love sticks...love stands fast…and sometimes we need to stand fast in a gentle, but firm, way. This is what the godly man aspires to…a Christlike demeanor and godly countenance among others. If you've ever run away or had the desire to run away from home, turn around and start running toward it.  One day, we will find that we will have run far enough…when we have run all the way home…to Christ, where home really is.  But for today...flee from these things!