NorMel House Devotions

Titus 2:9-10 “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.” Slavery was a basic element of Roman society and culture; therefore, Paul addresses Christian slaves and tells them how they ought to live. Romans 6:16 tells us we are either slaves to sin, which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness. Matthew 6:24 tells us we cannot serve two masters; we cannot serve both God and money. We are all slaves to something, either to God or to sin. Looking at Titus 2:9-10 we can apply these commands to ourselves as well. Who do you serve? The Bible tells us do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). In all you say and do, do it to God’s glory. If you’re called to be a stay-at-home mom, do your duties to God’s glory. If you’re called to be an employee...

 Titus 2:7-8 “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned so that those who oppose you may not be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” People often pay more attention to your actions than to what you say. As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words”. If you want someone to heed your words about Christian living, you need to live out the very words you’re teaching. Your life will reinforce your words and what you’re teaching and will “earn” you the right to be heard. Paul urges Titus to be a good example so that others will see the word being active in his life and imitate him. He urges him to teach the truth with integrity and seriousness so that he can avoid criticism. Careful study of the Bible and listening before we speak is especially important when teaching others or confronting moral or spiritual issues. Just as the previous verse reminds us ...

Titus 2:6 “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.” Self-control. We all need it and yet, we all lack it in some way. For some it’s indulging excessively in food, for others it’s not holding the tongue but gossiping, yet, for others, it’s indulging sexual desires in wrong ways, still, others struggle with drug or alcohol abuse and there are still so many more ways we lack self-control. Maybe you lash out in anger or frustration, maybe you read or watch things that you shouldn’t. Demanding self-control is a tall order and yet, it’s one we must all seek. Self-control is a common theme throughout the book of Titus. Paul tells Titus to teach self-control to the old men, the older women, the younger women and now the young men as well. Really, he wants us all to practice self-control because when we can control our urges it prevents us from sinfully living them out. In James 3:2 it says, “For we all stumble in many ways and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is...

Titus 2:4-5 “Then you can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Have you ever thought about your kids or spouse thinking something like, “I may love you but right now I don’t particularly like you”? If you’ve never thought about love like this before, it may seem a strange thing to say but the truth is that when you truly love someone there can be times when you are frustrated with them, angry at them, or really just don’t like their actions or words. Paul tells Titus to teach the older women to teach the younger women to love their husbands and families because, the truth is, we all need to be taught how to truly love one another. Love is not the wishy-washy emotions the world seems to think it is, but rather, love is a choice. We must be taught and choose to love because our sinful inclination is to be selfish, but als...

Titus 2:3 “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.” Paul starts off this verse with “likewise” to show us that what he has just said about the older men also applies to the older women. They too must be spiritually mature and wise, and use the benefit of their years of experience to help teach those who are younger than them. Many times, throughout the book of Titus, Paul tells him to teach and once again we see that even the older members still need to be taught. We are never done learning and there is always room for improvement.  Paul tells Titus to teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live. That means that in the way they dress and act, indeed, in all their conduct they must act as quiet servants in the house of the Lord. A reverent woman is one who has a spirit of joyful submission to the life that God has established for her as a woman. The next qualities Pau...

 Moments. Every time I’m confronted with death I think about this word: moments. Moments of joy, moments of sorrow, moments in love or angry or frustrated moments. The moment of birth, the moment of death, and all the moments in between. Death reminds me that all moments are God-given. He gives us moments in time that are unforgettable or that perhaps we’ve lost in the hurry and busyness of life. What do you do with the moments He gives you? Every one of them is important. God wants all our moments. He wants us to live all our moments to His praise and glory. Whether rejoicing in the good times or crying in the sad. Because even in the sad moments we have reason to rejoice. Christ gave us moments to remember and be thankful for. The moment He was born into this sinful world, the moments He healed the sick, walked with sinners, wept for His friends, prayed to the Father, bore our cross and sin, and the moments He, in love, hung on a cross and died for us. But we also remember the mo...