“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”1Timothy 6:20-21
The popular ideologies of our time completely contradict and are incompatible with what the Word of God says in scripture. From sexuality to philosophy, from incorrect theories that are called sciences to finances, the world has utterly rebelled against what God has established. Oftentimes, we might have felt like we had to reevaluate our faith or at least reevaluate the application of what we have accepted as Word of God, inspired by God, the creator of the universe. We should not fall into that trap.
First of all, we should keep what has been commanded as Paul told Timothy. What does this look like? Well, primarily we need to keep our eyes focused on Christ. We need to remember that only he can give us eternal life. Only in Him will we find hope and aid in tumultuous times. Do not stop abiding in Christ so that when the storm comes, you will not be weak, not knowing the only God who saves, and becoming lost in darkness.
Only God is light. We should continually meditate on the Word of God, which is a lamp to our feet as David wrote in Psalm 119: “He will keep what has been commanded”, meaning that we do not have worldly arguments. Moreover, this means keeping the faith when there is something that we do not understand. We need to persevere under pressure to doubt. We have to continue to seek God, meditate on His Word, and remember all the evidence that He has given us and the promise that He is with us. The devil will try to show us a lost cause, but his evidence is all lies. Look at all the truths that God has clearly established. The creation exclaims praise to the God of infinite power. History demonstrates the works of an incomparable Jesus. Our hearts proclaim that only He can fill the void, and the empty tomb of Christ proves that He is alive!
Secondly, we need to get rid of vain ideas and lofty words. Like Paul states here, the arguments of the world are called “science” falsely since they are not truly science, but rather foolishness. We should not waste time doubting. God has made it impossible for the human mind to understand the truth without Him (1Corinthians 1). When there is something that we do not understand, we should pray and ask God for wisdom. We should explore and respond the questions of others with the sole purpose of leading them to Christ. However, make a decision to never doubt. God opens our eyes to the truth when we believe without having seen anything. After He has opened our eyes, there is incredible joy because we realize that everything makes sense. Our trials are not in vain. Our merciful God truly is in control.
