O Timothy, guard most carefully your divine commission. Avoid the Godless mixture of contradictory notions which is falsely known as “knowledge”—some have followed it and lost their faith. 1 Timothy 6:20 (Phillips) Something has been committed to your trust. In 1 Timothy 6:20, Paul told Timothy to guard his divine commission most carefully. He warned Timothy to turn aside from objections and arguments that would arise from false knowledge. Something had been entrusted to Timothy that he needed to guard. One translation calls it a deposit; another calls it a treasure; another calls it a commission; still another calls it a commitment. The same is true with you. There are gifts you have that are needed by the body of Christ and your local church. …

Your commission from God You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4–5 (NKJV) On a recent trip to Israel, I visited the Temple Mount, one of the most important religious sites in Jerusalem. Over the years, several temples have been demolished and rebuilt on top of a foundation believed to be created in Solomon’s time. As I looked at the ancient construction, it made me realize that we need to think as these leaders of old thought. They weren’t just concerned with their generation or the generation that would immediately follow them; they built things that would stand the test of time. I’m not …

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17–19 (NIV)   People do all kinds of crazy things for love, yet often they come up empty. The problem is that they misunderstand how to fill this need we all have for love. Most people look to others for love. Unfortunately, our relationships with others can’t completely fill our seemingly bottomless need for love and approval. Although we all need healthy, fulfilling relationships, we also need a relationship with God. God wants …

I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me]. John 15:9 (AMP) Do you ever struggle with bad habits? Often people try to use self-discipline alone to change their behaviour, and then they experience guilt and shame when they have a setback. While self-discipline isn’t a bad idea, sometimes they need to dig a little deeper. The root of the problem may be that they’re not experiencing God’s love. They may be trying to fill a void that only His love can fill. Addiction, people-pleasing and codependent behaviour are examples of people trying to reach out to get a need met the wrong way. They have work to do on their belief systems, …