Pray:
Lord, thank You for saving us in kindness and mercy, for acting in goodness and love.
Read:
Titus 3:1-15
Reflect:
On what basis do you come to Christ? How do you now live?
Paul reminds Titus of the wonderful truths of the Gospel (4-7). Christ has done all that was needed for us to be saved. This is not about us; it is all a gift of God! Yet, Paul goes on to remind Titus that "those who have trusted in God "should "devote themselves to doing...good" (8). Our actions do not precede God's gift but flow from it. We are not good in order to make God love us; we can only be good because God first loved us.
"Doing good" is a theme throughout this letter (1:16; 2:7,14; 3:1,8,14). This form of goodness is far removed from the bland concept of "niceness" that we associate with it today. Instead, it is a fully involved devotion of our whole personalities to living, thinking and speaking out God's goodness in every possible way. Look back through the passage; how many practical examples of goodness can you find in these verses?
Let's be real and think about our own situations. At work, at home, in the shops, at the park, with the neighbors--what does it look like to do good? To do good starts as we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask him to fill our hearts with his goodness.
Apply:
Journal about practical ways these verses call us to walk in what is good. Ask God to connect this to your everyday life.
Pray:
Lord, teach me to walk in true humility. Through Your Spirit, help me to live out Your goodness in this world.
