Adorned by the Doctrine of God

December 1

"Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things" (Titus 2:9-10 NKJV).

The island of Crete was known for its corruption and many false gods. It was also the center of the jewelry trade. Thus, the use of the word "adorn" in the above passage may have been intentional by Paul due to this fact.

Titus and the believers in Crete were challenged by Paul to adorn their lives with the doctrine of God. Whenever you are challenged by an environment that is corrupt and ungodly, you have an opportunity to let your light shine before those in that culture. The greater the corruption, the greater your light can shine. It is not a time to flee, it is a time to shine brighter.

Paul addressed five unique things believers could do: 1) Be obedient to their masters. They were to submit to their authority structures, 2) Be well pleasing in all things. This meant doing their work with excellence, 3) Not answer back. They were to handle conflict with wisdom and courtesy, 4) Not pilfer. They were not to steal, but model integrity, 5) Show all good fidelity. This meant demonstrating loyalty and dependability.

Do you find your environment difficult to work in? The answer is to live to glorify the Lord in the midst of your culture. The way you live your life will be viewed by many others. An industry survey revealed the average person will come in contact with 300 people over the course of a year through their work. What better opportunity to let your life be adorned by the doctrine of God. St. Francis Assisi agrees: He encouraged believers in his day to "preach the gospel always and when necessary use words."