by Pastor Rich Carlson

Paul offers much advice to Timothy, the pastor of the church at Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). Some of it is what to watch out for (selfishness, arrogance, pride, and the love of money). Mostly it’s positive (being content and having the spirit of godliness). It’s tough to be satisfied with basic necessities when it seems like everyone around me has so much. Money is not wrong; the love of money has its challenges though. It carries with it traps, including temptation toward self-reliance rather than God-reliance. The solution is to be generous and do good with what God has given.

Paul tells us it is important to stay away from anything that might hinder us from that absolute focus on God. The list of what to focus on is longer than the list of what not to focus on (1 Timothy 6:11, 12, 14):

• righteousness
• godliness
• faith
• love
• endurance
• gentleness
• fighting the good fight of faith
• holding on to eternal life
• keep holding on to without spot or blame until Jesus’ appearing

Paul closes this letter by saying, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:20-21). What good advice.

Rich Carlson is campus chaplain at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. “God Is Faithful” is adapted from the email devotionals he writes regularly for the Union College family. Rich enjoys filling his life with God, his family, and especially his five grandchildren.