Have I got itchy ears?

One of 2 Timothy's most memorable phrases is this: "Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

It is a damning indictment of people who will turn from sound doctrine which teaches, rebukes, corrects and trains to false teaching which simply confirms them in their beliefs and their lifestyle - which if you read the rest of 2 Timothy is clearly simply that of society around them.

But I wonder if there is another application, many of us do not find false teaching attractive, in fact we have twitchy heresy antennas.  However, what about listening to the advice of others, do we listen to the advice of those who do not say what we want to hear searching instead for someone who will say what our ears want to hear because it agrees with our own desires.

For example - the young mum who finds church a bit of rush on Sunday who listens not to the two or three people who encourage her to come but to the one person who says well just make toddler group your church until the children are older.  Or the person who is attracted to someone who does not share their faith who ignore the words of those who teach them what the bible says searching for someone who says what they want to hear.

They are obvious examples and ones which I think we would readily spot in others.  But what is it for you and for me?  Do I keep on searching until I find someone who will agree with me that what I want is right?  I think we need to learn to be self aware - what is it I want, what do I want others to say, what will I do with dissenting voices?  It may help us spot if we are looking for someone to just say what we want rather than genuinely searching for godly wisdom.

Praying for wisdom to take the right opportunities

In modern England it is a privilege to be in a position of having too many opportunities. It has struck me that we live in a time of unrivalled opportunity in one sense. In many places old peoples homes are welcoming of Churches putting on afternoon services because so many of their residents grew up in church. They need to hear the gospel and it is an opportunity we must take.

But on the other hand there seem to be lots of opportunities in schools to be involved in assemblies and to deliver RE. Again another opportunity which we pass up at our peril. But which is very different because so many of these youngsters have no other contact with the gospel or with those who genuinely have faith that changes them.

In a world with so many opportunities - all those in between those mentioned above - we need to pray that God would give us wisdom in where we allocate resources and time, we need to find out what our peoples and our own passion is for and where we are best equipped by God's spirit to plant, water and reap the seed.

Wisdom

There is an interesting contrast in Daniel 12. What would would we contrast with wicked? Good, righteous, moral? But in Daniel 12 the contrast is between the wicked and the wise. Those who know God and live in the light of his Sovereignty and his word.

It poses the question am I wise? Wisdom is knowledge of God lived out. It is seen in the rest of Daniel in the contrast between Daniel and the other courtiers, it is seen in Daniel's reliance not on himself, not on scheming and flattery but it utter outright dependence and loyalty to God.

Am I wise?