Two Vessels

In his second epistle to Timothy Paul talks about two vessels. There are honorable (read "valuable") vessels and there are dishonorable vessels (2 Tim 2:20). The question hangs in the air, "Which are you?"

Of course, only momentarily. Paul indicates how to be an "honorable vessel." "If anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work" (2 Tim 2:21). That's good. In a sense, you get to decide. Will you choose to be a valuable vessel or a dishonorable one?

Paul tells Timothy how to do that.

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Tim 2:22)

Run from and run toward. Flee "youthful passions." Run from them. Leave them behind. But don't just run away; go somewhere. Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Chase down what is right, what is just, what is correct. Run toward confidence in Christ. Make unconditional love your trajectory. Run headlong into peace -- peace with God and with others. We would consider these to be "Christian virtues."

But don't stop there. Notice how he ends that thought. Run from youthful passions and pursue what is good "along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Now, that's interesting, isn't it? We are not lone runners. It isn't supposed to just be, "You and me, Lord; You and me." It's supposed to be a group run. And it makes sense. Before I joined the military I ran very little. I wasn't sure how well I'd handle that mile-and-a-half run that we had to do. But we did it in formation, an entire flight of guys running together. It was a breeze because I wasn't doing it alone. In a similar vein, Jesus said they would know we were His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). We're supposed to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal 6:2) We're supposed to be in this together.

Pursuing what is right is hard work (Php 2:12-13). We need to do it, but we need not do it alone. In fact, God's Word recommends against doing it alone. We should all long to be "honorable vessels" for Christ. We must do it by working with others with the same goal.