SOME THINGS TO STAY AWAY FROM
2 Timothy 2:16, 22-24 NKJV
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
Paul has such a heart for Timothy and wants to see him thrive. So, in this chapter, Paul offers some things that Timothy needs to stay away from. These things are not forgotten issues from an ancient culture but are still applicable to our lives today.
Avoid profane and empty chatter. This is the second time Paul has admonished Timothy to stay away from things that have no goodness to them. That word profane keeps showing up as a deterrent to spiritual growth. Worldly and godless chatter. Ungodly and vain talk. Irreverent babble and godless chatter. These are all different translations of the words profane and idle babbling. The problem is that the more someone pays attention to this godless stuff, the more it leads to ungodliness. Without screaming it from the housetops, I am convinced that the rise in internet content has contributed to the decline of spiritual strength in our nation. This is much more than my opinion. Across the board, in almost every segment of our society, we have seen a decline in common courtesy and an increase in bad behavior. One of the reasons mental health has become such an issue is that so many are suffering in the mental-emotional realm. But if we are feeding on negative, godless, worthless stuff, we can't assume it is making us stronger.
Paul also warned Timothy to stay away from youthful lusts. These are the desires that are prevalent in those without spiritual and, most likely, chronological maturity. Instead, follow what is right before God. Follow faith, using every opportunity to trust in God. Follow love, the commandment of Jesus to His followers. And follow peace with God's people. And to do it with a pure heart. Paul tells Timothy to flee these strong desires. And flee means to run away from, to move hastily away from, implying moving away from danger.
And then Paul lists some other things to avoid. Foolish and ignorant disputes are a no-go. The Amplified Bible offers further clarity. "But have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant speculations [useless disputes over unedifying, stupid controversies] since you know that they produce strife and give birth to quarrels." It would appear that useless disputes and stupid controversies have always been with us. And they have always been a problem. And they are still a problem today, maybe even more of an issue due to the increased availability of false information on a multitude of platforms.
Paul does tell Timothy to stay away from those things that generate quarrels. And those serving the Lord are not to fight with people. The Lord's servants are to be gentle, able to teach, and able to put up with evil and sorrow. I wonder how many conflicts could be rectified if we would pay close attention to treating people with gentleness and instructing them as opposed to harshly correcting them.
When it comes to following the Lord, Paul's inspired words ring especially true today. With so many areas that can cause us to trip, we must pay special attention to the things that hurt our spiritual strength and slow us down in our walk.
PRAYER
Lord, help me pursue what is right and avoid what is wrong. As your servant, I want to increase in godliness and decrease in the things that lead me down wrong paths.