Bring it into the Open

1 Timothy 5:24 (MSG)
The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don't show up until much later. The same with good deeds. Some you see right off, but none are hidden forever. 

Many of our sins are against God and against local law. These sins are obvious to everyone around us and will get us into legal trouble as well as grieving the heart of God. These sins might make the headlines in our local news, causing our neighbors to shun us.

Our actions bring public shame on us and our families. They taint our reputation and could have long-lasting repercussions.

Our credit could be affected, thereby impeding our ability to buy property. Privileges like voting or driving could be revoked. These obvious sins that are out there for the world to see and judge us by cause lots of problems; for us and those who love us.

But, there are other grievous sins which aren't obvious to the world. Evil lurks in some hearts and is concealed from the world. Given all the happenings we view on the evening news lately, we understand and recognize blatant transgressions, but there is also another element, the hidden sins.

Those sins we commit in our heart: lust, covetousness, gluttony and so on, the world does not see, but God does. These indiscretions can become habit and quickly a part of our daily routine. If not checked, they can change our character, turn us into someone we don't recognize; it can happen quickly.

Principle 7 in Celebrate Recovery, the Christian 12-Step program says for us to, "Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading and prayer, in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will."

Each day or night let's take time to examine ourselves, our hearts and our motives and spend time in our Bibles reading and praying. See if things don't change, see if we don't feel God's presence in every waking moment; enabling us to recognize a hidden sin and step away from it.

1 Timothy 5

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A Kinder, Simpler Time

1 Timothy 5 The Message (MSG)

The Family of Faith

5 1-2 Don’t be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters.

When I was a child and growing up, I often heard my parents or teachers admonish us by saying, "Respect your elders." I knew this meant I was not to talk back to my grandmother or grandfather. I knew my place when around those considered older, or old enough to tell me what to do. My place was to hold my tongue and be respectful.

That was how I grew up and I never questioned it. It was a natural way to behave. My grandfather used to teasingly say, "Little children should be seen and not heard." We understood this was another part of the 'respect your elders,' command.

Oh, how far we have come since then. Respect has gone the way of many traditions which instilled family values. There was a time when Sunday was a day for families to spend time together, when shopping malls were not the hangout for young family members, and when school sports were not played on Sunday.

1 Timothy is calling us to a kinder, simpler time. The words in this book point us to the value of respect, love and care. Part of respecting our elders is loving them and caring for them; not displacing them as they age, nor ignoring their needs. No, recognizing the value of age and the wisdom that goes hand in hand with living a full life, can have no price tag.

1 Timothy 5