February 25 - 2 Timothy 2:22

February 25 - 2 Timothy 2:22

“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

You know, as I approach that age of wisdom, (I don’t know what it is … I just know that I’m closer than I was twenty-five years ago!) I am more and more offended by our culture’s obsession with youth. 

Paul speaks of maturity quite often in his letters, knowing that as youth we spend our time seeking after things that sometimes make no sense. 

When I was teaching high school Sunday School classes, I remember listening to the kids talk about their passions – they changed every week and I’m certain that during the week when I didn’t see them, those passions changed pretty regularly.  Every week there was some new crisis or uproar that flitted in and out of their minds and hearts.  All I could think was that I needed to pray for them regularly so that they would not be damaged too severely.

The pursuit of righteousness, faith, love and peace doesn’t sound like it should be that difficult … but it is.  Even as mature adults, we miss out on those things because we are busy chasing the deal of the day.  Our priorities are based on those things that make us happy rather than the things that make the Lord happy.

Call on Him with a pure heart … He will give you the desires of your heart … not the desires of today or tomorrow, not the desires of the world … the true desires of our heart.