Pray:
Lord, my heart is Yours, my life is Yours, I am Yours. You are worth my all.
Read:
Titus 1:5-16
Reflect:
Do your actions reflect a life truly devoted to God?
"Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons" (12). How do you strengthen a church in that setting? For Paul, it starts with leadership. Titus is in Crete to help establish the church by appointing leaders whose lives reflect Christ's lordship (7-9). These leaders are distinctive from general society as well as from false teachers within the church.
In Crete, whole households are in ruin (11) because a group of people in the church are "rebellious" (10). Paul is clear: they must be rebuked in order that they "will be sound in the faith" (13). This involves rejecting untruths (14), having pure consciences and minds (15), and acting in ways that reflect their words (16). It is a high ideal, and it will require tough, but truthful, words from Titus.
Now fast forward to modern times. Our context is very different, yet the challenge to leaders remains. Church leaders have a huge responsibility to reflect Jesus in their lives and protect the church from false teaching. They are called to speak and live truth. So let's pray for our church leaders, that they may have spiritual wisdom and insight, and that we might see even more of Jesus through their lives.
Apply:
Pray for God to raise up leaders who passionately live according to the standard of his Word.
Pray:
Father, You have never spoken an empty word. Let me be a person whose words and actions line up.
