Things We Used to Do

             We probably all have a list of things that we “used to do.” As we get older, we find that some things are no longer physically possible. I can't play tennis anymore and I doubt seriously if I could even lift my 14 pound bowling ball, let alone run down the alley for the release of a majestic arc right into the pocket of the ten pins. Years ago, I preached a sermon at a church of things that we “used to do.” In that sermon, I mentioned how we used to go witnessing on Tuesday evening and even send a group over to the local college. We also used to have a weekend prayer vigil that lasted from Friday evening to Sunday morning finishing at the prayer breakfast for the men. We used to memorize Scripture but now we just try to remember those we memorized years ago. While it is true that a lot of worthless items have dropped from our list of things we used to do, so have some of the spiritual things that should still be on our list of daily activities. If you have been challenged by something from the Word of God, it should be in your list of things to do. Unfortunately, we just think how great they are and then forget about them, not putting them on a list of things we should do. First Corinthians 4:17 says, "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church." 

               Paul remarks to the Corinthians that he had sent Timothy to them and he stated one of the characteristics about Timothy that was going to be important to the Corinthians. They needed to be like Timothy in this trait. Timothy was "faithful in the Lord." It didn't mean that Timothy always wore a certain type of tunic or that he had the biggest horse or tha he had a lot of money. It means that he was faithful to the Lord. His life was characterized by his following God in everything that he did. When God tells you to do something, you do it. That was Timothy. He had already known the Scriptures because of the teachings of his mother and grand mother. Now, the Word of God was an integral part of his life. He followed and did what God said in His Word. We may come to the point of thinking, "What is there that I can now do for God?" Have you ever thought of the "one another" commands in the New Testament? These commands are non negotionable. The Scriptures remind us to love one another, to pray for one another, to bear one another's burdens, to exhort one another. Wow! We sure can start there. How much time do we spend in prayer bringing the needs of our fellow believers before the Lord? How much time to we pray for the lost that are in our neighborhood or our family? How do we show love towards those around us? You may well say, "I used to do that, but now it has slipped to the wayside." May our work for the LORD increase instead of decrease in the days to come. Praise God for His faithfulness to us. Now, may we be faithful to Him.