Trouble With A Capital T

237 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” I think it's important to remind ourselves every now and then, that this is Paul's last letter. It's the last bit of information that the Holy Spirit passes on to us through Paul. Parting words have special emphasis. I can't help but think of the parting words of Jesus found in Jn 13 through Jn 17, and of course the gems He left with His disciples after His resurrection! So Paul reminds young Timothy to first of all “flee youthful lusts.” Our first thought in this regard is sexual immorality, but hold on. If that's what the Holy Spirit meant, then He would've said it. Besides that's already a given for young and old alike! See 1 Cor 6:18 To paraphrase these three words in the Greek, it would read as follows: Run away from juvenile longings for what is forbidden. Think back to your juvenile years. How many wrong ideas did you have about living? How many wrong ideas did you have about living the Christian life? How many wrong ideas did you have about God and the Bible? These wrong ideas were often fueled by a desire to taste of forbidden fruit that is inherent in our flesh. The devil is very active in these years, constantly using his age old tactic, “Did God really say?” And many of us fell for it to our own hurt and the hurt of others. All those years under the iron fisted rule of your parents, and now you are starting to test the waters. You see others tasting of the fruit and they are having a grand time, why not you? Riotous living beckons the young person just as it beckoned the Prodigal son! Flee from it! And the trick to fleeing from anything is to turn heel and pursue something else. In this case, “righteousness, faith, love, peace” Young people, take up the challenge early! Purpose in your heart to pursue these things! Don't fall for the devil's schemes. Be like the young people that John wrote about in 1Jo 2:14, “I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.” Overcome the wicked one by relying on the Word of God and “flee those youthful lusts. Believe me, they are nothing but trouble with a capital T.