Pursue Steadfastness

1 Timothy 6:11–12
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things [love of riches and dissension]. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Following Jesus is hard.
It is hard to die to self.
It is hard to be humble, meek, and selfless.
It is hard to love your neighbor as yourself.
It is hard to trust God in the chaos of life.

Enter Steadfastness.

Steadfastness is to be firm, faithful, and committed to God no matter the circumstances. Steadfastness is not wavering in the waves of life. It is to be resolute in your commitment.

Paul encourages his protégé Timothy to pursue steadfastness. Words like perseverance, endurance, and allegiance pop to mind when I think of this pursuit.

Why does this matter today?
First, because life is hard. Trials come. Temptation is tempting. Obedience is challenging.

Another reason steadfastness matters is in our present situation. We live in a day of redefinitions of long-held concepts. A battle over truth is raging in the public arena and is infiltrating churches as well. The phrase “my truth” is being thrown around as a legitimate concept when the very phrase is oxymoronic. Truth is truth. “My truth” turns the objective into a subjective concept.

So pursue steadfastness. Pursue fidelity to the truth. Pursue allegiance to what God says even when the world disagrees. Stand strong in the Word of God and do not be swayed by the “wisdom of the world.” Give no ground to the new ideologies that directly contradict what we have been taught from the Bible.

We are not being loving by simply being accepting. In fact, as we condone lies, we are doing more harm than good. We are approving what should not be accepted.

Pursue steadfastness. Fight the good fight. Remain committed to the convictions of Scripture.