Choosing to follow Christ in Every Part of Our lives
Fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. —1 Timothy 1:18–20 (NASB)
What does choosing to follow Christ in every part of our life look like at work, at home, in politics, or in relationships with family and friends?
Paul wrote to a young church that was trying to figure out what following Christ meant in their everyday life. At the same time, they were facing external pressures to blunt the message of Christ by diluting His teachings with cultural talking points and tolerable religious practices. The external cultural pressure resulted in the church spending a significant amount of time debating whether these talking points and religious practices actually reflected Christ’s teachings.
Paul refused to get caught up in the "fruitless discussions," but by his refusal to engage he seemed to admit that there weren’t clear answers to everything. “Keeping faith and a good conscience” was Paul’s way of saying, “Focus on what you know to be true, namely that Jesus Christ loves and saves sinners, and do your best to follow Him by loving others well.” Paul was encouraging them to follow Christ and his fundamental teachings regardless of cultural pressures.
But what of those who chose to let go of the fundamental teaching of Christ?
Hardship, which Paul compared to shipwreck and scourging (both of which he had experienced), would be their lot. Rejecting the ways of Christ would ultimately make life harder for them. Paul then went a step further, saying that he was giving up on trying to help Hymenaeus and Alexander so they would be chastened into recognizing the truth. This was not Paul wishing them harm but wanting them restored.
Paul’s intensity can be understood by the magnitude of what he was fighting for...life and death issues both on this earth and on an eternal scale. And though we may not face the same intensity of consequence that the early church did, Paul’s challenge to do our best to choose Christ in every part of life remains both clarifying and supportive.
What does choosing to follow Christ in every part of our life look like? It may look like taking a stand and verbally proclaiming your values. Or it could be patiently earning the right to be heard by building a relationship. It might mean refusing to go out to bars with friends, or it may be volunteering to be the designated driver. Paul encouraged us to keep it simple and demonstrate we follow Christ by loving others well.
How does choosing to follow Christ in every part of your life look like?