A Matched Set

6.22.2011

1 Timothy 4:16 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. NIV

Paul instructed Timothy to keep a close watch over his life and doctrine to make sure they matched up. A leader’s lifestyle and beliefs must be a matched set otherwise his life will be hypocrisy; and if hypocrisy, then his life won’t amount to much; his effectiveness will be stunted.

The difficulty of not being the real deal is that trying to keep control over one’s life and doctrine is extremely difficult. Without complete surrender to God’s divine strength it is next to impossible. One may succeed for a season but those unguarded moments are killer. You can fool some of the people some of the time but unless your doctrine and life match, you can’t fool many of the people for much of the time. And, really, it isn’t about fooling anyone – it’s about living truthfully and practicing what you preach.

Paul told Timothy if he persevered in guarding his life and doctrine he would save both himself and his hearers. This isn’t salvation but being genuine. The world is starving for genuine people who say what they mean and mean what they say. Practicing what one preaches gets rid of the credibility gap and that is a gap worth closing.

Paul was challenging Timothy to live a disciplined life and that too is a hard, hard thing to do. Many love to make excuses for their lifestyle. Many have learned the fine art of cutting corners. Many have lost themselves and their listeners and don’t even know it… Discipline is the only way to maintain stability and balance.

My job is to watch over my life and doctrine closely and fight against those things within me that want to settle for mediocrity, hypocrisy, and half-heartedness. In Christ, I’m to make sure that what I believe and say match with how I live. That’s a tall order if I’m attempting to do that on my own.

Lord Jesus,
Only You can help me live with matching life and doctrine. Only You can make what I believe match how I live. And so today, Lord, I once again surrender all of me so that others may only see all of You – in Your Name, amen.