Titus 3:12-15 (Day 9)

3:12-13 - Titus was supposed to see that Artemas, Tychcius, Zenas and Apollos, had everything the needed.
Servants of Christ who are called to travel from place to place have always received support from the churches (3 John 6-8).
This always kind of scares me because I've heard from multipule churches that the back bone of a lot of their finances comes from the older generation. Whom are likely to die soon. And the younger ones either are small in number, or don't pay tithe. I should probably start praying for this - hopefully I remember - I want to trust that God's got everything in control and it'll all work out but it just seems like satan is flurishing in our society right now and Christians aren't being Christ-like. I shutter to think about how much worse it's going to be once I have kids, but I try to remind myself that Brother Lawrence resolved that he was suprised things weren't worse "given the malice that sinners were capable of."


3:14 - It's important for Christians to be able to provide for at least the daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. Paul was stressing the need for good works, not to earn salvation but to serve others.
I have it in my mind that it is God's will for us to work to be able to provide for ourselves and our families. Nate is so great at getting up and going to work. Once summer starts, I'm looking to get a job and we'll see how that goes . . . 
but I think this verse brings out something that we all think is "a nice thing to do" but how many of us practice it outside of tithing, or maybe supporting a child in a far off country with a fixed amount of money each month. To quote Matthew West: "I throw a 20 in the plate but I never give till it hurts."
I love how Jesus met practical needs before preaching at people. What's that song? "They will know we are Christians by our love"? I think people see that we care about them when they can see it us loving them costs us something. It's not easy, or convieniet, and often "puts us out" - when looking at it from a natural perspective. But I think supernaturally, something happens when we love, and give, and care. Hearts soften and through that are able to receive what the Holy Spirit is trying to say. 
Which is all beautiful but I gotta tell ya - I'm STINGY!! O man, I hold on to my money and I like to build up my nest egg, not tear it apart twig by twig giving pieces to other people!! But it's not my money. And I have to wonder how big of a nest egg Nate and I can have before we're trusting in money and we have miss an assignment to give. 


Jesus, open my hands and free money from the death grip I've placed around it. Help Nathan and I to serve one Master, trusting in You alone. Jesus, when there is an oppurtinity, help Nathan and I to be in accord with it and may our hearts be cheerful when giving. Help me to see the blessing in it and desire from a genuine love to help others. Sometimes that's not in money, but with simple, kind, thoughtful gestures. Whatever it takes, help me to give of myself. Pour out myself like You did, so that I may be refilled by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.





3:15 - the "you" is plural and is meant in a broader sense, not just Titus.