teach — Blog — KEN D. MILLER

6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. – 1 Timothy 4:6-16 ESV

Our lives are meant to make a difference. But not in the way that the world would have us believe. In this age, the sign of significance is measured in assets, popularity, job title, income, the neighborhood we live in, the kind of car we drive, or even the number of friends and followers we have on Facebook or Twitter. We live to impress. We exist to consume. We long to make a difference in the world, but the terms by which we measure the success of our contribution can be shallow and exceedingly temporal. Paul would have Timothy use a different standard. He wanted this young man to keep his eyes focused on what really mattered, so he gave him a few basic tips for living a life that truly makes a difference.

First, he tells him to teach. Paul wanted Timothy to take what he was learning and share it with those all around him. Knowledge that is never shared is wasted. Wisdom that is never passed on to others ends up being self-centered and senseless. But Paul's letter to Timothy wasn't meant for him alone. Paul's intention was that Timothy teach the truths contained within it to those under his care. He told him to “explain these things to the brothers and sisters” (1 Timothy 4:6 NLT). He challenged him to “teach these things and insist that everyone learn them” (1 Timothy 4:11 NLT). The truths of God's Word are meant to be shared, not to be horded. We are to pass on what we learn.

Secondly, Timothy was to train. And Paul was quite specific when it came to the kind of training he was talking about. Paul said, “train yourself to be godly.” (1 Timothy 4:7 NLT). The Greek word Paul uses is gymnazō and it means “to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind.” It is the word from which we get our English word, gymnasium.

Paul was expecting Timothy to put effort into his pursuit of the spiritual life. Godliness was to be his goal in life, not material success, financial reward, physical health, or personal fulfillment. Paul reminded Timothy that he would receive far greater benefits from the pursuit of a healthy and vibrant spiritual life than he ever would from getting physically fit. Godliness has both temporal and eternal ramifications for the life of the believer. We benefit in the here and now as well as the hereafter.

Third, Paul tells Timothy to typify what a believer looks like. He was to be an example of godliness to those around him – in every area of his life – through his speech and conduct, in his demonstration of love and faith, and through living a life of purity. Purity includes sexual purity as well as integrity of heart.

The Christian life is to be a holistic life – with no compartmentalization. In other words, there are no hidden or secret areas where the light of God's transformative power does not shine. Timothy’s godliness was to touch every area of his life and it was to be a clear model of Christ-likeness to all those around him. And Timothy’s young age was never to be a hindrance or used as an excuse. Timothy’s chronological age was to have nothing to do with it because godliness is ageless. It has nothing to do with the number of years we spend on this planet. But it has everything to do with the amount of time we spend in the Word, with the Lord, and submitted to the Holy Spirit. Godliness is to be lived out for others to see.

Paul gives Timothy one final charge: “Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:15-16 NLT).

Timothy was to teach others, train himself diligently, and typify the life of a believer. And he was to throw his entire energy into making this a reality in his life. The pursuit of a godly life cannot be done half-heartedly. It's a full-time job that requires our constant attention. We have to regularly examine how we're doing and constantly assess our spiritual well-being. There is no room for complacency or contentment. And Paul modeled this lifestyle of constant commitment to excellence.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

There will be always distractions along the way. We will be tempted to become satisfied with where we are and how far we've come. But Paul warned Timothy that the goal will not be realized on this earth. Our salvation will be consummated in heaven, not here. This life is not to be all there is. This world is not our home – we're just passing through on our way to somewhere better. Our salvation awaits our glorification. That is to be our ultimate goal and objective. That’s why Paul told Timothy to train himself for godliness. Eventually, our godliness will be complete. We will be done with all the training. We will be finished with the race and done with all the exercises. The apostle John reminds us, “Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is" (1 John 3:2 NLT).

That day is coming. But in the meantime, we are to teach, train, and typify. So let's get busy!

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 22

“Direct your child onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” – Proverbs 22:6 NLT

This verse has been taught at every parenting seminar I have ever been to. It has been held up as a promise from the very Word of God that offers us a virtual guarantee of success in child-rearing if we just do our part well. But as a parent of six and as the youngest son of my own parents, I have found that this verse, while promising, is not exactly a promise. In fact, it is NOT a promise at all. Like all the other proverbs written or collected by Solomon, it is a universal truth. It is how God intended the world to work. But because of the fall and the presence of sin, things do not always turn out the way God intended or as we might want them to – regardless of how well we do at raising our children. But this does not change the reality that the best way is always God's way. As Christ-followers, we are to raise our children according to God's will and direct them on to the one path that leads to true life. In most translations, the first part of this verse uses the words, "train up a child." The Hebrew idea behind this is that of dedication. It is used in the context of dedicating a house to God. So, in essence, we are to dedicate our children to God and give them over to Him for His use – teaching them to walk His path and live according to His will. This includes not only teaching them well, but modeling Christ-like behavior and obedience in front of them. It isn't enough to simply teach them Bible stories and moralistic platitudes about honesty, sharing, truthfulness, and humility. As the old saying goes, when it comes to teaching more is caught than taught. Our kids will pick up the "godly life" by watching us live it more than they will by hearing us talk about it. When this verse says, "Direct your children onto the right path," it is encouraging us as parents to live our lives in such a way that our children instinctively know which way to go from having watched us and followed us. According to the Book of Proverbs, there are only two paths to life. There are only two ways for our children to go: The wise way or the foolish way. The way of righteousness or the way of wickedness. The way of the godly or the way of the godless. Because Proverbs uses the metaphor of the path so often, it fits in well here. It helps us understand that this verse is about a way of life, not just lessons for life. It is about a lifestyle choice. And it is a lifelong job. As parents, we are always training our children – even long after they are out of our house. We are still modeling godly behavior and directing them onto the right path long after they're grown and gone. The verse says, "and when they are older, they will not leave it." This conveys the idea that our job is never over and that the impact of our efforts are lifelong, not temporal. We may see our children wander off the path for a time, but we may also live to see them discover their way back our of the high weeds and into the light of God's will. Our job is to keep training, modeling, and directing. We have to leave the results up to God. At the end of the day, if we have truly dedicated them to God, we must realize that it is He who will determine the outcome of their lives. Only He can reach their hearts and transform their character from the inside out. And while this Proverbs does not guarantee results, it does give us the assurance that if we are faithful to do our job, we can trust God to do His part. We can leave our children in His capable, loving, merciful hands.

Father, give me the stamina and determination to direct my children on to the right path and to do it faithfully, all throughout the years of their lives. Don't let me take shortcuts or fail to model the godly lifestyle in front of them. Forgive me for taking complete responsibility for the way my children turn out and forgetting that only You can save my kids, and redeem, restore, and protect them. Amen.

Teach, Train, and Typify

The Desire of Every Parent.