“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”
~ 1 Timothy 1:3-7 (ESV)
How do you drive a borrowed car? Do you “hot-dog” around town, or do you drive very carefully? If you are trustworthy, you will treat someone else’s automobile with respect and special care. You can enjoy the ride, but you always keep in mind that it’s a stewardship; entrusted to you for a particular purpose. When you lose that purpose, there’s no telling how far off the road you’ll drive.
Church leaders, teachers and even pastors can occasionally find themselves “hot dogging” with their calling. We step into our entrusted calling as we do a borrowed car. We can enjoy the ride, but we always need to keep in mind that it’s a stewardship; entrusted to us for a particular purpose. As in the case of “certain persons” in Ephesus, there are so many issues in today’s climate that can tempt us to swerve from the purpose of proclaiming God’s redemptive plan.
Today’s passage brings to the table a dual stewardship…the calling and the purpose. We who are leaders, teachers or pastors have been entrusted with an incredible privilege. May we never be tempted to “swerve” from this God-given trust to “hot-dog” with the popular or spectacular. If we do… there’s no telling how far off the road we’ll drive.
~ PJVS
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