KAREN HODGE|CONTRIBUTOR

You are rich friend! Maybe you don’t believe me because you bumped up against the “not-enoughness” of life at some hard point today. Perhaps you do not think you have enough time, resources, or energy to do what you feel like God is calling you to do. This scarcity mindset depletes our joy. This summer, I pray as we study First Timothy together that you will survey your spiritual life and find yourself overflowing with contentment and gratitude for all the deposits of sound doctrine entrusted to you to be invested for His glory. At the heart, this is all about stewardship. If you grew up in the Hodge household, you would have heard on the regular, “All of life is stewardship!” We like to define stewardship as something of inestimable value entrusted by the King to be invested for kingdom purposes. A steward’s chief responsibility is to be faithful to the Master.

I want to open my First Timothy treasure chest and share some of the glorious riches God has entrusted me through studying this pastoral epistle. As one gospel friend to another, I invite you to hold me accountable when I forget these deposits of truth and pray that I will be a faithful steward as I seek to invest them in my church.

Deposit #1- Sound doctrine leads to sound and healthy churches, homes, and living.

“…the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service…” – 1 Timothy 1:11-12

Sound doctrine means healthy or hygienic teaching. It is the truth that makes sick saints well and malnourished believers healthy. I am blessed to be able to sit under sound preaching and substantive women’s Bible studies each week. There are so many truths I have been entrusted with, even this month, that I am compelled to share.

Deposit #2- Godliness reflects the characteristics of our covenant God in the context of the community.

“…. women who profess godliness—with good works.”  1 Timothy 2:10

Godliness is formed from two words: God and worship. It is a life totally devoted to God. Godliness reflects the characteristics of our covenant God in the context of the community. It aligns our hearts and lives with the values of the King. It is godly conduct for the sake of the Gospel. I have the privilege to not just talk about professing godliness but to ask the Spirit to cultivate it in my heart so that I genuinely possess it. The Spirit can empower me to invest this virtue by reflecting God’s compassion, kindness, and His familial care to a watching world.

Deposit #3- Our vertical surrender overflows in horizontal service to His Church.

“… you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”  1 Timothy 3:15

We get to, not have to, serve alongside the men and women of our church. Life-giving leadership puts the gospel on display to cynics outside and inside the Church. The Church is not an organization but rather a living organism. It is Jesus’ very good idea to mobilize the gospel message and showcase His glory to a broken world. When I am tempted to judge or complain, I need only look to the head of the Church, Jesus Christ, and realize how blessed I am to be in the family of God.

Deposit #4- Training in godliness is not just for personal gain but for everyone in your covenant community.

“Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

1 Timothy 4:7-8

Thinking biblically is investing in training not just for temporal gain but eternal impact. As we consistently place ourselves under the Word and let it do its toning and redefining work, we become nourished and grow in godliness. We get in shape to run hard after the things of Christ. We have been entrusted with the blessing of team training as we unpack the content of the gospel in the context of community. This relational approach to discipleship yields the lasting fruit of godliness today, tomorrow, and every step until we get Home.

Deposit #5- We have been entrusted with a deposit of truth to be invested for Kingdom purposes.

 “… guard the deposit entrusted to you.”  1 Timothy 6:20

Studying the Word of God is not an academic exercise but a stewardship opportunity. Consider all the older brothers and sisters in Christ who have kindly deposited these truth-filled reminders along your journey. Truths like you are loved and precious and have a Heavenly Father who sings over you. No matter what you do, He will never leave or forsake you. You can stake your life on every promise in His Word from beginning to end because they find their a-men, or may it be so, in Jesus Christ. These are priceless treasures to be guarded and defended.

Do you believe me now that you are indeed a rich woman? Do you appreciate the vast personal and corporate riches entrusted to you to invest for God’s glory? Take these gospel deposits to the bank and invest them faithfully! I pray for you, sister, that we may be faithful stewards to our King.