Running

"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT emphasis mine)

As I read this verse this morning it jumped up off the page and grabbed me along with my attention. These words from Paul to Timothy are words of challenge and encouragement. They contain two of the three biggies which run throughout Paul's writing, Faith and Love, add hope and you have the big three.

To set the stage the challenge to pursue we are reminded there are things we must run away from. In our journey with Christ we do not do enough fleeing and running from the right things. There is enough fleeing and running happening, but our focus is misplaced. I have thought many times I can dabble in certain things because, well I am strong enough in Christ. WRONG, run, flee get away from anything which will spark a youthful lust. Follow those things which call us to God.

While running from the things that will spark youthful lust we are to run toward faith, love and justice. Now I cannot in the frame of this blog expand on those points now. Needless to say, I will anyway, there is much behind those words. We are also challenged not to pursue these things alone. Community matters. There is not such thing as an isolated faith. Our journey with God is always played out in the context of community. Our journey with God was never intended to be a private matter.