Action Words for Every Christian’s Vocabulary

Traveling for ministry purposes allows me the privilege of meeting countless people who profess Christianity. I’m always delighted to meet those who are sold-out for Jesus. They’re hungry for the Word, eager to grow spiritually and to encourage others to do the same, passionate about walking in truth, and humble enough to admit their shortcomings.

And then I meet others whose faith reminds me of people riding inflated inner tubes down a lazy river on a summer day. Drifting in one’s faith hardly computes with Paul’s words to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:11-14):

¹¹But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. ¹³And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴that you obey his commands with all purity

Food for thought

As food for thought, I’ve pulled a few action words from that passage. This list ought to dismiss any temptation to drift in our relationship with Jesus, don’t you think?

Run from evil.

Follow what’s right and good.

Pursue a godly life.

Fight for what you believe.

Hold tightly to the eternal life God’s given you.

Confess your faith before many witnesses.

Obey Christ’s commands with whole-hearted purity.

Apply these to life today

I’ve been working through this passage for my weekly Bible study. I’ve found it really helpful to look at each of these phrases and meditate on how they apply to my life today.

Take, for instance – “run from evil.” Today I felt a twinge of envy at another person’s good fortune. The moment I recognized it, I asked the Lord to forgive me and then I asked Him to bless her in her new endeavor. I ran from evil; I didn’t linger or dawdle in its presence.

“Pursue a godly life” is another phrase that applies. I want to be like Jesus, but that happens only when I pursue that goal with intentional actions such as reading God’s Word regularly, talking with Him every day, and giving Him access to my heart so I don’t let a root of bitterness grow towards someone who has hurt me. Apart from taking active steps to have a godly life, it won’t happen.