Thoughts for the Day

But as for you, man of God...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

My father was in the SAS during World War II and remained a soldier for years after that. I was in the WRAF and married someone in the RAF, so I know that I may have a different understanding of "fighting" to others. For me, it is important to stand up for what is right, and to protect others, and I can't be doing with changing words in hymns like "Onward Christian soldiers".

Today's reading is from Paul's first letter to Timothy is written sometime around 64 CE. Paul has gone to Macedonia, leaving his assistant Timothy to work in Ephesus, which is in modern-day Turkey. Paul warns Timothy not to depend on 'legalism', that is on the law, but to rely on his faith.

Paul urges Timothy to 'fight the good fight'. He is not to fight a fight, for the sake of having a fight, as it were, in other words he is not to cause disagreements or dissensions amongst the church community at Ephesus. So what is this fighting all about? Well, for most of us trying to live the Christian life is a real battle - it's a battle with ourselves. We want to live a good life, obeying Jesus' words to love God and other people, but somehow we keep making mistakes. Living a good life is a real battle - we are fighting 'a good fight'! There is only one hope and that is to ask God's forgiveness and start again.

Heavenly Father,
we try hard to obey Your Son's words
to love God and love others,
but we find it so hard sometimes.
Forgive us our mistakes
and help us to continue the fight
to live a good life as Your people.
May we know that with You,
all things are possible.
Amen.