As we begin another new year, what are you looking forward to? Every sports team, at the beginning of a new season, looks optimistically to the possibility of winning the championship. The media talks to the general manager, who has been trading players for players, buying some, selling some, promoting some from the minor leagues to the major leagues, all in the hope that he will bring the right mix of talent to garner that pennant.
Then they interview the head coach, and he’s optimistic about the team’s chances to perform well. He’s assembled what he considers to be the right assistant coaches and managers that will evaluate the talent of individual players, report on their strengths and weaknesses, and with the right amount of coaching bring each player to his optimum ability to produce a championship team.
And then the season begins and the wins and losses are totaled up and we see whether or not all that effort at trading, buying and selling players paid off; we see whether or not all those hours spent coaching the players paid off. And there always seems to be an element of luck, that moment when something happens that shouldn’t happen, when something surprises everyone and the team finishes on top of their sport.
Are we Christians like that sometime? As the new year begins, do we optimistically expect that something new and exciting will hap-pen in this new year, that something will be different, new, exciting, and challenging? Or do we secretly hope that the status quo will be maintained and we will continue doing what we’ve been doing with little or no change or challenge to change?
For me, every Sunday is filled with hope and expectation that something will be different. I open the door to this auditorium and expect to see new faces, unfamiliar faces, and I do. In our Bible study class I expect to hear different voices, different views, different opinions, and certainly vocal contributions from everyone.
In our scripture passage from Titus 2, Paul reveals to each of us five ways that we can adorn our lives with the doctrine of God. The doctrine of God is found throughout the Bible. What is a doctrine? A principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief; so, the doctrine of God is a group of principles about God that people believe.
Five Ways to Adorn Your Life
“Exhort bond-servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our savior in all things.” (Titus 2:9-10)
The island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea was known for its corruption and many false gods. It was also the center of the jewelry trade. Paul’s use of the word adorn in our scripture today is probably intentional and certainly would speak to the people of Crete who were involved in jewelry making and selling.
Titus and the believers in Crete were challenged by Paul to adorn their lives with the doctrine of God. Whenever you are challenged by an environment that is corrupt and ungodly, you have an opportunity to let your light shine before those in that culture. The greater the corruption, the greater your light can shine. It is not a time to flee, it is a time to shine brighter.
1. Be obedient to their masters
Not everyone in the first century was a free Roman like Paul. Christianity has always held an appeal for those who were not of the higher, elite, well-educated classes. Throughout his letters to the churches and to individuals, Paul made frequent references to those who were living in the homes of well-to-do families as slaves and servants.
In Philemon, Paul talked of the runaway slave, Onesimus, and the ministry he had performed for Paul. Paul was sending him back to his owner, Philemon, and urging forgiveness for the runaway slave. Many believers were slaves; many believers were slave owners. Paul always insisted that the slaves be obedient to their masters.
For those who work, being obedient means being obedient to those who manage and supervise us. For everyone it means being obedient to God and following the leading of the Holy Spirit. We are to submit to whatever authorities there are in our lives.
2. Be well-pleasing in all things
In other words, do your work with excellence. I’ve told the story before about the airplane final assembly plant in Palmdale, haven’t I? That’s when Lockheed was still producing its L-1011 airplane. The plant in Palmdale was the final assembly point and check ride before they turned a plane over to the airline that had purchased it.
Well, our custodian at Olivet, Bob, was a former worker at that plant. He would tell me tales about those planes and how the individual sections would arrive in Palmdale for that final assembly. Many times whole sections of wings, fuselage, or other parts had to be wholly repaired before they were assemble and tested for their airworthiness. Made me shudder a little bit every time I got on an L-1011 to take a trip somewhere.
Bob knew, and I knew, that there hundreds of workers not doing their best work. That was especially galling because they were getting very good salaries and benefits from Lockheed. Why wouldn’t they put forth their best effort? Because they knew that no matter how bad their welds were, not matter how sloppy their work, they would get paid and the folks in Palmdale would correct any mistakes before the plane taxied for its test flight.
Kind of reminds me of my kids; whatever they don’t get done, they’re pretty confident that I will come along and pick up after them; if they break something, I’ll fix it or replace it. Lack of pride in a job well-done is decreasing, isn’t it? Paul says, “Do your best at all times - be well-pleasing to everyone around you.”
3. Do not answer back
I don’t know about you, but responding to people with a quick remark has been something I’ve been able to do for a long time. We like to be witty and always have something to say. I think those of us who grew up in America learned this rather quickly.
Usually a quick retort to something that was said to us is more negative than positive. There is a tendency to put someone down, or to say something harmful when we answer quickly. We don’t think before we speak though we probably should. But responding quickly and sharply usually brings about conflicts and disagreements and arguments.
Paul would rather that we handle conflict with wisdom and courtesy. There are many proverbs and verses in James that speak of the damage a quick and sharp tongue can produce. A slow, quiet, measured response is more likely to bring peace than a sharp, quick wit. Take your time, consider that what you say should be encouraging rather than discouraging, helpful rather than harmful, peace rather than conflict.
4. Do not steal
Since most Jews were familiar with the Ten Commandments, repeating number eight wouldn’t be necessary. We must assume that Paul is speaking to these Greeks and reminding those that were slaves in a household to not steal from their masters. When the masters have so much and the slaves so little, the temptation was probably great to steal.
In fact, it may have been an accepted way of life in those times - if you had slaves, you could expect that some of the silverware would disappear at some time. But states that this should not be the norm among those slaves who were Christians. Christian slaves should honor God by being different and doing the unexpected - not stealing from their masters.
A big problem today is stealing from an employer. Almost every company has problems with workers taking something from their employer - paper, food, equipment. And when employees do that and get caught, most of the time they are fired and not prosecuted, unless what they have stolen is of high value. Again, the Christian is to be different and respect the company’s inventory and not to steal any-thing.
5. Show all good fidelity
This means to demonstrate loyalty and dependability to their masters. A disloyal servant could do a great deal of damage to the master. Certainly the slave was knowledgeable about everything that goes on in the household. The slave would know if others are stealing, would know if there is cheating going on, would know if there is infidelity among members of the family.
Having this knowledge and being willing to sell it to someone who wanted to harm the family could bring an instant measure of wealth, but would be disloyal. Since Paul mentions it in this letter, we can be sure that this was happening and that Christian servants needed to show non-Christians how they were different by not being disloyal.
Being dependable means that you keep the promises you make. If you tell someone you will meet them somewhere at a specific time, don’t be late. I am bothered frequently by doctors with whom I make an appointment. I arrive early and usually am ready to be seen once I get to the office. I don’t like it when the doctor is running slow and I have to wait past my appointment time.
Being dependable means you can be counted upon - you won’t disappoint someone; if you’re running late, you’ll call. If you’re held up and can’t make it, you’ll call and apologize. Dependable people can be counted upon and are a complete opposite of an undependable person.
Do you find your circumstances difficult, at times? Are things difficult at work, at home, at gatherings? The answer to these difficult environments is to live to glorify the Lord in the midst of it. The way you live your life will be viewed by many others, and what they see is the witness for Christ that you bear to them.
An industry survey revealed that the average person will come in contact with 300 people over the course of a year through their work. That doesn’t count substitute teachers. I come into contact with that many teenagers in a week’s time, not a month’s. And every time we come into contact with these 300 people, we have an opportunity to show them our doctrine of God.
We show them our doctrine of God as we are obedient to those over us, as we do everything we can in a pleasing way, as we speak without answering back, as we do not sin by stealing, and as we show our loyalty and dependability. All these behaviors, when presented to a sinful world, demonstrate our love of Christ and his word. Will they be your behaviors in this new year?
