Fight The Good Fight of Faith

            The scripture 1 Timothy 6:6-12 quoted below tells us we came into this world naked, and we will go out the same way.  We should be content with what we have, yet, most of us are tempted with all kinds of new technology, and with things we to think we need.  These become a snare.

              After reading these verses, I began thinking about what a Pastor did in earlier times without our modern technology. How did he schedule Missionaries, Revivals, write sermons, Sunday School lessons, and just schedule “plain old dinner on the grounds” fellowships? 

              After much thought, I decided he didn’t have as many problems as we do today.  Until telephones became available, a local assembly might not hear from a Missionary or Evangelist for years, and might never have one in their church.  The post office had to suffice, no last minute changes, no sudden anything. 

              It is hard for me to put anything I do for the Lord into the context of “…foolish or hurtful lusts...”  Our problem is how we use our technology.  So many use modern technology “…for foolish and hurtful lusts…”  Take the internet for instance.  I use our modern technology, probably not to the fullest extent I could.  I use an electronic KJBible for preparing the final version of my sermons and Sunday School lessons.  I sometime look up historical background for a message on the internet.  I also converse with Pastors and others via e-mail.  The snare to all this is it takes some free time which could be added to additional study and prayer time, or door to door visitation. 

              We find we are caught in a “catch 22.”   The technology is here and we seem not able to divorce ourselves from it.  Our verse tells us “…flee these things…”  If we could only turn, our clocks back to the fifties, maybe the late forties when time was slower, and we didn’t know as much then as we do now. 

              However, in today’s mind set we have resources and capabilities we could never have imagined back then.  So the best we can do is monitor our time, be sure the technology isn’t our life, and make sure above all that Jesus Christ our Lord is our life.  “…Fight For The Good Fight Of Faith...” 

Bro John R. E Chastain

1 Timothy 6:6-12  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  (7)  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  (8)  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  (9)  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  (10)  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  (11)  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  (12)  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.