Take Pains With These Things

      My memory work this week came from I Timothy. I Timothy 4:15-16 stood out, smacking me squarely between the eyes. Paul wrote, “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

      With what things was Timothy to take pains and in what things was he to be absorbed? I Timothy 4:12-13 spoke of exemplary speech, conduct, love, faith and purity along with the public reading of scripture, exhortation and teaching.

      Should we not also take pains with, be absorbed in and pay close attention to these very same things? Notice, Paul didn’t say tinker with. He didn’t say dabble in. He said take pains with and be absorbed in.

      Taking pains means it is not going to be easy. We are so easily affected by our microwave society. Everything is supposed to be fast and easy. We work for so little anymore. We cannot apply that mentality to spiritual things. We must take pains with spiritual things. That means sacrifice. That means it might hurt sometimes. That means it is going to be difficult work. Don’t tinker with spiritual things, take pains with them.

      Further we are to be absorbed in these things. We are to be like sponges when it comes to the Christian life. We are constantly soaking up love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We are to surround ourselves with the Word and those who love it. This entails reading, studying and memorizing. It means talking about the Word with others. It might even mean shutting off our XM radio and i-pod in order to listen to the Word on cd in our cars sometimes. It means getting together with others to study the Word regularly. Don’t dabble in the Word, be absorbed in it.

      We need to pay close attention to ourselves and our teaching. Our salvation depends upon it. Sadly, we live in a world that thinks we don’t have to pay attention to what we teach or to our lives. Just say Jesus is Lord, speak a lot about grace and love and everything will be alright. I refuse to minimize Jesus’ lordship, love or grace by suggesting they mean we don’t have to care about how we live or what we teach. We must pay careful attention and make sure we live and teach exactly what the Lord tells us to. Then we will experience His grace.

      A new year is coming. Let’s take pains with, be absorbed in and pay close attention to spiritual things, the word, our Christian lives and our teaching.

Edwin L. Crozier