We can change the world we live in by 'Paying Attention!'
God has instilled within each of us a valuable commodity called ‘potential.’ This potential is the ability to accomplish that which the mind determines to accomplish. Sometimes this potential may lay dormant for our entire lives, while others utilize much of it. Today, it is our choice to realize that we also have that potential in us and we can choose how to use it for the betterment of the world that we all live in. In order to use this potential in a way that benefits us and our people, we should understand why God gave us this potential in the first place. We find that in Genesis 1:28, God says this to both Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them. And God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” God would have never asked man to do this if He had not equipped him to accomplish this in the first place.
Our Scripture Text is: “1 Timothy 4:16 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
How often do we hear people around us tell us to ‘pay attention!’ It probably was your teacher at school, or your parents at home, your supervisor or manager at work, or just a friend trying to make a point. We all need to be reminded to pay attention as that is something we seem to neglect very often. If our hearts desire is to be more and more like Jesus and to follow the example that He set for us, then it stands to reason that we need to pay more attention to His Word and His Actions. The serious problem that we face is that people have become so selfish in the way that they think and it has revealed itself in the way that they behave, people have little or no time for others – even the ones that are important in their own lives. We seem to live in a cold society that has lost the warmth of relationship and the value of life.
Our text reminds us all to watch [pay attention] our lives and the doctrines that we need to follow. In this text, Paul is giving some advice to his student, young Timothy, but today it is advice that we can all learn from. First we are called to establish our lives according to the truth of God’s word. When we choose to pay attention to what God is saying, we will soon realize that His words not only benefit us, but all those around us as well. We are all called to live with integrity. Integrity means that ‘what I think, what I say and what I do’ is exactly the same thing.’ I don’t choose to say one thing to impress those around me and then do something else when those people are not around. That speaks of hypocrisy – to say one thing and do another. If we as Christians are to proclaim the joy of freedom in Christ, then our lives need to show that we are walking in the freedom that He offers. We need to set an example for the world around us in speech, in life, in love and in purity. [1 Timothy 4:12]. Nothing hinders our witness for Jesus more than a lack of authenticity. We need to pay attention to the way we live.
For us to live in the correct way, our understanding of God’s Word has to also be correct, especially as many false teachers are readily available in these days. Since the early days of the Church, the enemy has been consistently attempting to distract God’s people by leading them away from the core truths of the Scriptures. Satan continues to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of believers about the authenticity and the authority of Scripture. Today, we live in a world where we are encouraged to be tolerant of those around us, but the Bible encourages us to uphold truth. Truth does not tolerate false teachings, false doctrines and false movements. Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6]. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ Himself. When we choose to pay attention to the Words of God, we will save ourselves and those who choose to listen! Pay attention to what really matters!
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