10/31

2 Timothy 2:22

²²So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

The passions of our youth can form patterns in the brain that we subconsciously follow after we mature. The things we thought would bring pleasure temporarily satisfied us, so our developing mind laid a default pathway to resolving dissatisfaction. After maturity is reached, we find ourselves thinking in the same way that we did when we were young, even though we have learned the consequences are not worth the temporary pleasure.

Our verse today is telling us to flee from youthful passions. That means we can choose to do so. We are not "born that way," without recourse. We developed that way, but that does not mean we have to continue in that mode of behavior. A kleptomaniac can choose to stop stealing. If we are born-again believers, the power of the Holy Spirit is available to enable us to flee from what once thrilled us. The same is true for any behavior.

Instead of just giving in to old patterns, we are to mature spiritually and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. That is what people with pure hearts do. The mind may have the old ruts, but the heart has new desires. This verse tells us what to run from and what to run to. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to refuse to cave in to the destructive ways of the flesh and choose to passionately pursue what is of eternal value.

Consider: The battle takes place in the mind, but it is won in the heart. Our relationship with Jesus causes our hearts to love what He loves and reject what is worthless.