What parts are ours to do in our spiritual growth!

Been thinking about how St Paul in mentoring his disciple Timothy tells him to stay very active in his spirituality. To do certain things, and not others. In the letters to Timothy we are overhearing someone mentoring and training a younger elder. So Paul is passing on and imparting some of what he himself had learned, that would be needed in Timothy’s leadership. He tells him to remember the prophetic words spoken over him, and goes on to tell him to be active in many other areas of his own spirituality and leadership. Good meditation. We have to resist certain urges, rule over ourselves, be little internal governors over our soul and bodies.

Paul tells Timothy to be active in his spirituality—to flee and to pursue certain things. Grace is needed (yet as Dallas Willard said, it is also easy to be paralyzed by Grace in terms of spiritual growth; spiritual growth does not just happen to us, we are partners in becoming! We have to actively do things daily), but there is also an active pursuit or intentionally laying hold of—putting to death, calling to life in our daily spiritual practice. To put certain things on and take certain others off. The scripture do not teach us a passive spirituality. It is very intentional and active all the way through. We are responsible for part of our formation and to position ourselves for transformation. Pursue the ways of righteousness, flee away from (quickly run from) the ways of death. We are collaborators in becoming more whole.