Nourishment & Goodness

Some of the key ingredients to growing a “perfect” tomato is providing consistent water, temperature and just the right amount of daylight. According to Google there are 6,840,000 references to “growing perfect tomatoes”, that’s a lot of information to pick and choose from. I have tried to grow tomatoes over the years in varying ways that produced somewhat undesirable results. I am going to attempt another batch this year and the one advantage I have over the others years is an automatic watering system to provide consistent nourishment.

The apostle Paul talks about being “nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed” (1 Tim 4:6). He is writing a letter to Timothy, giving him direction through his letter so that if in his absence He, (Timothy) will know how the people should conduct themselves in the church. With instructions on proper worship and qualifications for overseers and deacons we have quite a list of requirements to live up to as leaders in the church. There are some high expectations to which we are called as leader in the church. In each and every one of us there is a goodness that God has created, it is a goodness that needs consistent nourishment, a source of sustenance that is found in the truth of His word. In order for the goodness to produce new fruit in His kingdom we must give ourselves fully to God, “we have to put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people.” (1 Tim 4:10)

I don’t know of any “automatic system” that will feed or provide the nourishment of God’s word into our lives. The writer of Hebrews describes the need to be nourished by the “solid food” (teachings of righteousness), the same truths of the faith and teaching that Paul writes about here in 1 Timothy. As mature believers, as leaders, we have to be disciplined in our time being nourished by the word. This means spending time in the word, reading and meditating on its truths, living by its example, encouraging others, training ourselves to distinguish good from evil (Heb 5:14) and faithfully teaching others. The word of God provides us the life giving nourishment necessary for growth, health and conditioning to be his leaders in the church today.