Man of God
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1 Timothy 6:11
But you, Timothy, are a man of God (v.11).
Recently a colleague asked me, “What would you
like to be?” I replied, “Well, in terms of career
planning, I don’t know. But I want to be someone
who is wise, compassionate, and humble.”
In Paul’s letter to his protégé, he didn’t instruct Timothy
to become an A-list pastor; rather he reminded him that
he was a “man of God” (1 Tim. 6:11).
Interestingly, there’s only one person in the New
Testament who’s called “a man of God,” and that’s
Timothy. But this term is frequently used in the Old
Testament. In fact, it’s used 70 times and always in
reference to a spokesman for God—someone whose
duty and responsibility is to speak the words of God.
Paul points out four characteristics that mark a man of
God:
• He flees. “Run” (v.11). This is the Greek verb fuagay
from which we get the word fugitive. In other words, the
man of God is a man on the run. He’s constantly fleeing
the love of money (6:10), ungodly behavior (6:20), lust,
and sin (2 Timothy 2:22).
• He follows after. The man of God pursues
“righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love,
perseverance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
• He fights. Using the truth, the man of God is
engaged in daily warfare against the kingdom of
darkness. He’s not resting on his laurels.
• He’s faithful. The man of God “[holds] tightly to . . .
eternal life” (v.12). He views faithful Christian living and service as his necessary
responsibility to God.
If someone were to ask you, “What would you like to be?” would you answer,
“I want to be a man of God”? That man personally belongs to God, proclaims
His Word accurately, and lives an exemplary life.
—Poh Fang Chia
more›
Read 2 Timothy 3:16 to see why it’s vital that a man of God use Scripture
to guide his actions.
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How does your life reveal that you’re a person of God? What needs to
change?
