1
TIMOTHY 6:11
PURSUE
LOVE
But
thou, O man of God, flee these things;
and follow after righteousness, godliness,
faith,
love,
patience, meekness.
The man of God, Timothy,
needed to run from false teaching and the sin that accompanied it and follow after,
pursue the things in keeping with the word of God. One thing he was to run
after was love. Not erotic, emotional love or even that of strong friendship,
but unconditional, Christ-like love. In order to do this, he must stay in the
word of God, not just to read it but to live it out, to walk in it. Believers
walk in the word by every decision that is in keeping with the scripture. To
walk in this “agape” love begins with a fervent love for the Lord which then
extends to the love of others (Matthew 22:37-39). We do not sit around waiting
for an opportunity to show God’s love. We must track down and chase after
opportunities to love.
I have a
pastor/mentor/father-in-the-faith who consistently pursues love. My former
pastor, Doug, loves the Lord Jesus and proclaims His gospel faithfully. He has
shown me love during many crisis times in my life. He has tracked me down like
a hunter at various hospitals to pray with me and show me the love of God. Knowing
that he was behind my pursuit of God and, therefore, being ordained encouraged
me greatly. He even said that signing my ordination papers was one of the
greatest pleasures of his life. He loved me at that pinnacle of my life to that
point and he has loved me when I have been cut down (literally!). God has used
Doug’s faithful, Christlike love to hold me up in times of trial.
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