Flee TO Love
Posted by Tim on May 21, 2008
Paul tells us to flee youthful passions (2 Tim 2:22). In 20 years of ministry, at least 12 of those with youth, I have found myself teaching this over and over. I have preached quiet a few “Don’t do this…” “Stop doing that…” type sermons. No wonder people develop religious/ controlling spirits. We teach rules; people try to follow the rules and impose those rules on more people. Eventually, we realize that we struggle with the rule so we create a new, more stringent rule to protect people from breaking the first rule… And the wheel keeps spinning around. Then we wonder why dead religion is so prevalent.
But Paul did not teach dead religious rule keeping. He did NOT stop with flee youthful passions, he went on to say and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace… Paul was not just telling us not to be bad, he told us to pursue the good. Many times I have tried to resist temptation and found myself failing because while I was resisting, the temptation was all I thought about. Paul says, run from the temptation and replace it with righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Flee TO these things. When tempted to exact revenge, don’t just resist it, DO good to them. When my spirit is dry and I’m tired, I need to do more than just not let the enemy steal my joy. I need to force my flesh to get up and worship God. I need ask what true love would do in the situation. I need to let the love of God flow out through me. In short Paul is saying be more concerned about righteousness, faith, love, and peace and you won’t have to worry so much about righting youthful (or not quiet so youthful anymore) lusts… Stop fighting against things and start running to God.
Lord, help me get this deep down in my spirit. I need to live FOR you not against stuff. If I immerse myself in YOU, the lusts of the flesh will melt away. Help me get it straight. Help me focus on letting YOUR love flow in and through me. I can’t do this alone, Lord, fill me.
