Simple Rules to Live by

Scripture:
"Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men." Titus 3:1-2

Observation:
I think that by and large very little happens on earth that can be considered new. The sins that plague the world today have plagued the world since the beginning of time. Famines. Wars. Diseases. Genocide. Rape. Murder. Stealing. The list goes on. I often hear people refer to today's world in terms of it being worse than any other time period, but I just don't agree. The world has been broken for a long time.

There is one thing that I do feel is growing worse each day, complication. The complexity of today's world is crazy. I remember seeing a sign in Quiznos Sandwich shop boasting of something like 2,000 possible choices for how you want your sandwich. 2,000 choices!? Ridiculous.

I fear that we have done the same with our Faith. We complicate it just like we complicate choices in life. It is refreshing to me when I actually see and read the Bible and realize that though there are some really difficult things to understand, there are also some pretty simply rules to follow. I see three such rules in this passage.

Application:
First, I need to be submissive. This one is not popular at all. It is really amazing to me how hard this is. God ordains people to be in authority over me. If I walk in opposition of that I am walking in opposition of His will. My job is to do all that I can to help the agenda of my leader succeed, even when that requires me to place my agenda on the back burner. The only time the Bible allows me the opportunity to not submit to leadership above me is when it leads me to do something counter to God's Word. Outside of that I should be in alignment. The world is designed to function with a certain order. When people are not submissive to their leadership, things get messy.

Second, I need to be nice to others. This sounds a little childish on the surface, but to many it makes a huge difference. I went to Disney in May with my family. It did not take very long to realize that common courtesy is missing. It has left the building. People would literally knock my kids down and never look back. It was total chaos. I see this most everywhere I go. We have turned our society into a "me and mine" world. I love how God words it in this passage. Malign no one. Show every consideration for all men. I can’t even imagine how our nation would change if we really lived this out. No malicious talk. Everyone giving respect and careful thought to each other. In short, hospitality would permeate our lives.

Third, I need to anticipate good deeds. As I noted earlier, the world is broken. It always has been and it always will be. Opportunities to do good deeds are never very far away. I need to become an activist for meeting the needs of others. This is God's heart. It is impossible to study the scriptures and not see that one of God's greatest desires for us is that we develop a deep love for each other and a sense of responsibility for taking care of those in need. I should live each day in eager anticipation of doing something for someone else. I need to discover what I have a surplus of and put it to use in the lives of others. I do not have a lot of money. Actually, I have no money. I live comfortably, but I do not have any excess. I have a tendency to dwell on this when I think of good deeds, but I have to get past that. I need to discover what I have a surplus of and then give it away. Maybe that means I smile more often. Maybe I tip a little extra at a restaurant. Maybe I just offer common courtesy more often. I can serve the food at the soup kitchen. The list of ideas is limitless. I just need to be intentional.

Prayer:
Your Son modeled the perfect life. He is the only one to do so. When I look at the scriptures, I always come back to Matthew 20:28. "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Your call on my life is for me to give it away. I pray that you help me live my life in hopes of giving it away to others. I want to give myself to my leaders. I want to give myself in consideration of others. I want to give myself to meeting the needs of others. This is not something that I can do outside of Your empowerment. It is a task that is just too hard. I rely on Your guidance and strength to bring this about in my life. Open the eyes of my heart to live life looking for opportunities to give it away.