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Keep Your Lips as Titus Canby
“Young men demand heroes to follow” (Homer A. Kent, Jr.).
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Titus 2:6–8).[/perfectpullquote]I recall a public service ad from my youth (It may even have been in color!) that featured a little boy imitating everything his dad did: shaving, putting his feet on the coffee table, washing the car. In the final scene, Dad grabs a cigarette, and the son is seen eyeing the pack on the table. The message is obvious: Children will imitate their parents. In broader application, young, impressionable people will imitate those whom they respect (In the case of Son of Kong, they will ape them.).
This devotional is written from an old(er) person’s perspective (I’m so close to my next birthday I can see it without my spectacles). I can still remember 30 years back when I was a young Christian — I clung to my first, young pastor like Poligrip®. I saw him as the model Christian; I respected him and wanted to emulate him.
Paul wrote to Pastor Titus to teach him how to pastor the church at Crete. He taught him what to show and tell the new believers to bring them to order and maturity. This would do little good if Titus himself did not practice what he preached. He needed to earn the respect of his flock so they would imitate him.
Titus was to model both good works and good words in everything (v. 7). Words are given greater emphasis in vv. 7 – 8 because the tongue is so hard to control (James 3). The burden of modeling the Christian life is on the pastor as he walks along the runway of ministry. And the garments of righteousness he displays are patterns for the flock to imitate.
Ergo, these traits should be true of us all. So, let’s examine this example.
We are called to do good works in every situation. Good works are not something we just put on with our Sunday go-to-meetin’ clothes; they should be part of our walk every waking
hour.
The pastor’s teaching should be comprehensive, sensible, and reliable. Doctrine, in this context, means biblical teaching. He should train the flock to understand the Word of God at all levels, with no hint of heresy. Biblical teaching should be done with dignity. The Word is not a joke, something to be taken lightly or presented in a facetious manner. Sound speech is healthy speech, with nothing sinful.
The goal of this conduct is to prevent adversaries from having any testimony to present against us in the court of public opinion. The accuser will be ashamed when he tries to convict us of wrongdoing.
Christian conduct is modeled from the pastor on down through the generations. Paul told another pastor, Timothy, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13). Especially now, in a time of crisis, our responsibility to teach the younger generation is more vital than ever. What will you say to those who look to you for answers?
-Alan Allegra
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