Nobody's Ever Asked Before...

My higher-order life-liver sister Jilly giggles when she hears that the Dallas Morning News has a "religion" section. Of course, she follows that up with the fact that the San Francisco Chronicle has a "wine" section. Then she supposes that where she's from, wine pretty much is religion. Funny girl, that Jilly.

Anyway, in today's "religion" section they asked 10 different pastors in the Dallas area their favorite Bible verses. Naturally, they got 10 different answers.

I'm not sure how they picked the folks they asked. I'm not sure if they left a voice message on my phone at work. I don't know if they had my mobile phone number. I've changed my personal e-mail address recently so maybe that goofed things up. Whatever the reason, I wasn't on their top 10.

Even though they didn't ask, I'm going to chime in with mine. If you'd asked me four years ago what it was or 8 years or 20 years ago it would've been different. I'd imagine that if you ask me four years from now it'll be different. But, this is my favorite verse at the moment:

1 Timothy 1: 5
"The goal of our instruction is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

I like this verse because it was written to Timothy, a "young" pastor (likely between 30 & 40) who lived in a time where poor doctrine was being taught in the churches and the teachers were proud, arrogant & greedy. Hmmm.

I like that there's a goal. In teaching the truth of Scripture to folks, there's a desired outcome. What that looks like in people's lives. Notice what it doesn't say that the goal is: Information. Bible knowledge. Facts. Factoids. Trivia. This verse reminds me that when I teach the Word to my students, if they don't somehow come out of that lesson loving God more or loving each other more...well, then we just spun our wheels.

I like it that the word for instruction is better tranlated "commandment." No real options, there.

I like that the goal is LOVE. How do you get people to be loving? See, love is a choice...NOT an emotion. Sure, emotions follow those choices, but when you read in 1 Corinthians the "ingredients" that make up love you'll see that they are choices you make in any given circumstance. Patient. Kind. Doesn't envy or boast. Isn't proud, rude or self-seeking or easily angered. Doesn't keep a record of wrongs. Delights in the truth, not evil. Protects. Trusts. Hopes. Perseveres. The Greek word there is agape which means a love for which no sacrifice is too great. So, my students need to come out of any teaching time with some of those ingredients in the mix. Pretty high standards.

I like that these are supposed to be from a pure heart. An inner reality being truthful with God and with yourself. It isn't at all what it looks like to others.

I like that these are supposed to be from a good conscience. This is an inner peace that all is right with God.

I like that these are supposed to be from a sincere faith. An unhypocritical lifestyle is supposed to be an outward manifestation of all those inner realities.

Yes, the goal is high and unwavering.

But I know what it is.

I know what to aspire to...and it isn't about creating a "safe" place for children to be. It isn't about making a youth group that has nice "alternatives" to what the world has out there. It isn't about "sheilding" them from the "world." It isn't about making clean-cut, American "winners."

It's about teaching them to love Christ.
To love each other.
Based on true doctrine.

Anything else is trifling with God.

And I won't...

...can't...

...do that.

So that's my favorite verse and why. Sorry, DMN, if I missed your call...