Word of Encouragement (8/9/2021)

We will have one more reflection on 1 Tim. 2:1-2: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Last Friday, we were reminded that, though we cannot avoid suffering in this life, it is not wrong for us—in fact, we are commanded(!)—to pray for peace and stability in our society. Today, let’s talk about why.

Paul gives the reason: “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” As you can see, it is not simply for ease and comfort so that we can pursue our personal ambitions and desires; it is for us to lead a life that is “godly and dignified in every way.” A godly and dignified life (as in our personal life) is the goal and a peaceful and quiet life (as in the environment in which we live) is the means.

We know how important it is to keep straight this relationship between means and goals. What happens when we mix up the two? Think about eating and living. Which one should be the means and which one should be the goal? It is obvious that we should eat to live—eating is the means and living is the goal. What happens if we switch the two, if we make eating the goal of our life? We are different from beasts, in that we don’t eat just to survive. We care about the pleasures that are associated with eating, not just the nutrition—the flavors, the presentation, the ambiance, the company, etc. However, no matter how fancy, eating belongs more to the baser dimensions of life in comparison to things like philosophy, literature, art, music, love, and meaningful relationship. As important and necessary as eating is, to make eating the goal of one’s life would be

We can say the same about the relationship between money and happiness. Which should be the means and which should be the goal is obvious: money should be the means and happiness, the goal. We all know that money cannot buy us happiness. But it can be a means for us to pursue things that will make us happy, however temporary. Even though we know that it is foolish to make money the goal of our life, it is much easier than we think to make that mistake. We can get so fixated on making and saving money that we forget that it is there to be used for more important things—to meet the needs of ours and others, for the enjoyment of ours and others, and for the support and pursuit of other needful and worthy endeavors. So, we live like paupers even though we have much. We fret and get vexed that we don’t have more. When we make money our goal, we get fear and anxiety, not happiness.

These are just a couple of examples of jumbled-up priorities. How can we be spared from such mistakes? It is by keeping in mind that the ultimate goal of our life should be leading a godly and dignified life before God. If that goal is compromised or forgotten, we will turn every blessing of God into an idol, a trap for spiritual degeneration. We know how that is. God gives us a time of peace and prosperity. Why? So we may give thanks to God and use that time to reorient our hearts and minds on the things of God and grow in our spiritual life. But the moment our crisis is gone and a period of quiet comes, we get complacent and lazy in our spiritual walk and get busy pursuing sinful, worldly pleasures.

It is not wrong to plead with God to deliver us from our present crises. But why? Just because things are unpleasant and hard? Thankfully, God is gracious and He does not despise us when we cry for His deliverance even from our temporal predicaments. But if our comfort and ease are the reason, then God’s gracious answer will lead us to spiritual laziness and even sin. How pleased God will be if His blessing leads us to greater faithfulness and spiritual growth instead of idleness and idolatry! So, let us pray for those in positions of authority that we might have a peaceful and free society, not so that we might pursue the base things of life, but so that we might lead a godly and dignified life, focused on honoring God and serving those around us.  

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