Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
When my kids were younger, they would get really scared if we lost power at night during a storm. The darkness can be disorienting when there is so much turmoil happening all around. But when that happened, my husband or I would grab a flashlight and turn on the light, and my kids would scramble to be near us. My kids wanted to be near the light where they could make sense of the chaos, and they trusted us to guide them through the darkness.
The same is true with our faith. When we speak the truth and live accordingly, we can be a beacon for the Gospel even in the darkest times. Paul knew that when people live a life that honors God, they can effectively lead, influence, and encourage others in their faith.
On Crete, some believers were still living sinful lives which was discrediting the Church. The Christian message of hope and transformation wasn’t compelling when its followers were living the same broken lives as the world around them. Paul was saying, “Hey, some people are damaging the faith with their words and deeds, but you, as obedient followers of Jesus, can proclaim the truth by following sound teaching.”
In Titus 2, Paul encouraged the Cretan households to live as stable families and as productive and helpful citizens which was the opposite of what was demonstrated in the typical Cretan household. Verse 10 says that we are to live this Christian lifestyle, “demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.” This chapter isn’t a list of things to do to be a good person, these are instructions on how to live a life that proves the Gospel’s compelling message of hope and new life. This way of life is only possible because of the transformative grace of God. The grace of God that saves us also instructs us to live in a new way. He made us new creatures, eager to do good works to shine a light on this gift of grace. The same grace allows us to say “no” to sin and “yes” to the love of God; it allows us to live a life for God.
To impact others, our faith can’t be lived out behind closed doors or in private communities – the Gospel must be proven out in the open by participating in the public square. When we live a life that honors God in private AND in public, He uses us to influence others. That’s what it means to live in response to the Gospel - be a light in the darkness! Live out your faith, and by example, influence others to do the same. That’s how God reached the people of Crete, and that's how He will reach your family, friends, and neighbors too. Simply be the light.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.