22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
– 2 Timothy 2:22-24
The language in verse 22 shows two contrasting objectives. A Christian should separate themselves as much as humanly possible from the desires and pleasures of their youth, and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Our youthful self will let us chase whatever pleasure we desire, while God calls us to a life of self-control where the feelings of others are more important than our own. The language of pursuing righteousness implies that it is difficult if not impossible to become righteous. However, it is a command to be righteous, so we have to daily seek out to find opportunities to be righteous in our daily lives. As ministers, as we pursue God he will cleanse our hearts in matters where we fall short, and we will be able to model righteous living to the individuals in our church or ministry.
For more reading on this topic, check out:
Crazy Love by: Francis Chan
Wild at Heart Field Manual by: John Eldredge
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