Here’s a thought exercise: If teens were to pick a random day from your past 30 to observe your actions in the course of a day, would your behavior attract them to the gospel or repel them? So that you’re not picturing angelic Bible study times, don’t forget those special moments when the fuel pump didn’t spit out your receipt or when the unengaged food server messed up your order (for the third time).
Much of the New Testament is a declaration that our outer actions reflect our inner transformation. We see this banner cry in high def detail in a passage from Titus.
First, some quick background: The slavery referred to in this passage was different from what we picture today. A slave in a Roman household was often paid or working off a debt. The modern application might be the employer-employee relationship.
The Text
“Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:9-12).
Think About It
When we think about the tools we use to make the teaching attractive, the last tool we think about, if at all, is our daily behavior. We think media, music, illustrations, analogies, etc. Yet, the most effective tool is how we ourselves react to life.
After Paul made the specific reference to how slaves could make the teaching attractive, he rolled seamlessly into this phrase: “For the grace of God has appeared…” That’s a big for. It’s because of grace that our lives are different, but it’s our behavior in the little things—interacting with our employers, giving a good day’s work for a good day’s (or any kind of day’s) pay, showing trustworthiness—that shows the people around us that our transformation is authentic.
Titus 2:10 begs these questions: Do my actions and reactions to life make the gospel attractive? Can people watch me and be drawn to investigate the message of the gospel?
Apply It
Life gives us many opportunities to show the teachings of God to be attractive, but this isn’t something we can learn in a crash course. In verse 12, we’re told grace teaches us to live godly lives. This doesn’t happen in a training seminar; it happens as we run our life experiences through the filter of redemption—letting our life’s losses and gains rub against our gratitude for salvation. As we let gratitude change us and shape us with time, our behavior will become grace-shaped and grace-filled.
Given how much Paul mentions it, the work environment is obviously a prime place to show off the gospel. Curiously, most teens will get their first jobs while under our care. Titus 2 gives us a ready-made, life-lesson-plan to help them start out right. Whatever their first jobs might be, we can encourage them to be a Titus 2 employee and begin a lifelong journey of reacting to daily events in a grace-filled way.
Keep in mind we’re after more than a good employee evaluation. The bottom line is how we let gratitude for our salvation shape our reactions to life. When people see these kinds of reactions, they will want what we have. The teachings of God will be attractive.
Bring on the defective fuel pump and unengaged food server.
