Month: July 2022

God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 I’m not afraid of the usual snakes and spiders. Rather, I’m afraid of horses – and maybe cows. I’ve got my reasons, but my family makes fun of me a little for what they see as an…
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I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience . . . 2 Timothy 1:3 I’ve lost a lot of sleep in my life. Whenever I’ve engaged in some self-destructive pursuit, I’ve behaved in a manner that has been contrary to what I believed to be right. This dissonance has…
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I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 When my wife and I first began a romantic relationship, I poured myself into…
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As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing…
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I charge you in the presence of God . . . who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. 1 Timothy 6:13-16 In practicing addiction medicine, it’s sometimes easy to…
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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. 1 Timothy 6:12 During my first couple of attempts at recovery, I did make some effort. I went to outpatient treatment, attended meetings,…
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But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11 In my addiction, I eventually realized that I needed to change. I hated who I was and I hated what I was doing. I knew it the inevitable consequences, but I just couldn’t stop.…
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Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  1 Timothy 6:9-10 In my favorite fictional book series, The Lord of the Rings, the main character…
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But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 1 Timothy 6:6 Being a workaholic isn’t my life struggle. I’ve always simply preferred to be at home with my wife and children. I’ve often found myself at work, wishing the day…
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He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:4-5 Competition is an inherent part of the gym to which…
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