Titus 2:6-7 - Harvesting Timber

Titus 2:6-7 "In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good deeds of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching." (NLT)

I can remember in a class that I once took reading a quote from some unidentified person who was bemoaning how the younger generation seemed to lack the discipline of the older one. If I had heard that once as a complaint from some in my parents' generation, I heard it a number of times so I naturally thought it was a quote from some contemporary of mine. But the instructor informed us it was a quote from Socrates, the noted Greek philosopher.

It seemed to me back then that it was a common complaint...........the younger generation lived too frivolously......they lacked the focus of the older generation.

But my observations of younger people now that I'm the "older" generation have revealed to me that they are pretty much like we were when we were young...........testing life............struggling to find their voices on the issues.......upset at some of the inequities that confront them.

And generally things are not nearly as bad with the younger generation as some people would have me believe they are. There are a lot of focused young people out there, much more focused than I was because the world is so dramatically different.

Brother Paul's advice above is sound. I must be sure that I lead by example, and I must first examine myself before I move my focus to someone else.

Jesus said, "And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5 (NASB))

Should I wish to speak to others about their walks with the Lord, I need to be sure my walk with Him is where it should be............as the Lord said...........I need to harvest the timber blocking the vision in my eye before turning my eye on anyone else.

But there's also another word of advice Paul seems to be passing to me........the message of encouragement. People respond to kind words a lot quicker than they do to criticism.

Love in Jesus,

Jim

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"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB)

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

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This devotional was originally posted on CCI-Devo - Daily Group Devotionals on April 22, 2004 in post #533. It was written by Jim Ross, a former United Pentecostal Church member, who attends Christian Challenge International, the sponsor of the devotional group. The devotional is the copyright of Jim Ross and is reprinted on this site by permission.

Page added April 14, 2006

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