The first group Paul focuses on in this passage is the older men. He commands them first of all to be temperate. What does this mean? Two different meanings came up as I studied this, moderation and vigilance.
Moderation:
This would be the idea of keeping things in balance in your life and not allowing yourself to do something excessively. Too much of even a good thing can be bad. So, we see that we must be moderate. This includes food, drink, and other activities, or even mindsets.
Far too often we go to extremes and don't have balance in our lives. I like video games... a lot. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but when it becomes the only thing I think about during the day, then there is trouble and the rest of my life starts to suffer. The key is to be moderate and keep it in balance.
Vigilance:
Combines the thoughts of being watchful and endurance. One dictionary describes this as "being sleeplessly watchful". I like this because of a sense of protection from older Christian men. This is important because of the life experiences that these men have. They have experienced many of the things that those who are younger (including myself and my mere 26 years of experience) are going through now.
These are two things that we all should strive for in our lives, moderation and vigilance.
Keep reading Titus, and I'll be back later with some more thoughts. Please leave comments and let me know your thoughts!
1 comment:
Hi Son, Thank you for your transparency in using your own life, even weaknesses as examples. I have loved this quality in my husband, and seen this humble humaness endear him to our congregations, as well keeping his own heart open to God's molding. thanks for the computer help this morning too. Praying for you and Misty and your three little ones. Love you all, Mom A.
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