Our scripture this morning is 2 Timothy 2:10-14.
“So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.”
Paul reminds us that we must be willing to obey and possibly suffer for the faith we have in Jesus. We learn through His example and are called to live our lives as He did. When we accept the gifts He offers, we are forever changed and responsible to God and each other.
While there will be disagreements even among believers, it is important to ensure these don’t affect our dedication to the mission Jesus has for us.
Satan can’t defeat us in the face of Christ’s sacrifice for us but he can distract us, interfering as he has since the beginning. Paul warns that “Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them” (v. 14). If we are to be the bearers of the Good News we must be focused on our mission and not lost in disagreement.
God created us to be His people, chosen and meant for a holy purpose. When we fail to love, even in our disagreements, we fail Him. Paul writes “stop fighting over words”, something we desperately need to remember.
Loving Lord, we are sorry for arguing among ourselves and missing the message of love You send for us to share. Help us to remember the promise we have been given and live out our promise to You. Amen.