FIVE Minutes with Phil

So, I've got to start with "What is this command?"

Let's go back a few verses…

But you, man of God, flee from all this temptation, and pursue righteousness. In a nutshell, that's it - quit chasing that, and chase this.

And I, Paul, your mentor and teacher, charge you, Timothy, my mentee and student, in the sight of the Creator and the King of Kings, keep this command without spot or blame.

Two specifics - without spot, and without blame.

When the Jews were instructed concerning sacrifices to God, only the best would do. When the crops were harvested, they were to bring the first grain, grapes, and figs, as a sign of trust that God would protect and provide for them with the remained of the crop. When their flock of sheep reproduced, they were to bring the first born, again on the belief that God could be trusted.

But as always what seemed to happen, the religious authorities created rules around what the best would look like. And over time, strangely enough, only the birds and animals which could be purchased from the high priest's family were good enough. So, if you brought a $1 pigeon from home that had an unusual mark on it's left wing, well, if you wanted your sins to be forgiven, that just wasn't good enough! But you could buy one for $10 that was preapproved. Do you want your sins forgiven or not? That'll be $10.

And, by the time Jesus came on the scene, you couldn't buy it in the temple with filthy Roman currency! You had to go to the Temple Bank and exchange it for Temple currency - with an exorbitant exchange rate, of course. So it was going to actually cost you $13-15 to get your sins forgiven. And guess who is getting rich off your desire to be clean before God? The high priests and their families. That's what got Jesus so upset that he drove the money-changers from the temple, not once, but twice - both early and late in his ministry.

Paul says, "Timothy, offer yourself as a living sacrifice, without spot or blemish. Take care of yourself so that you don't destroy your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God.

And… without blame.

To the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, "He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 1:8).

To the church in Ephesus, "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight" (Eph. 1:4). And "and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Eph. 5:27).

To the church in Philippi, "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation” (Phil.2:14-15).

Are you sensing a theme here?

There is a lot of stuff that happens to us in this world. And there isn't a lot you can do about it sometimes. You're going to get muddy on occasion, but don't let it be because you dove into the pigsty!

Peter put it this way: "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this (the new heaven and the new earth), make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (2 Pet. 3:14).

Final Charge to Timothy

13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,

1. I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame

2. until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—

3. God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.

What is this "good confession" that Jesus made before Pontius Pilate? There's a short and frankly confusing version in Matt. 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23 - "Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

But there is a whole lot more detail in John's account, chapter 18, beginning in v. 33.

Pilate summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Jesus, are you the king of the Jews? No! I am the king of another kingdom - a greater kingdom that is not of this world. I am the king of an eternal kingdom, that will never pass away. You may kill me now - the Jewish leaders can kill me now - but I will still reign for ever and ever! I came so that people would listen to me as I tell them the truth about who I am, who God is, how God loves, and how he desires an eternal relationship with everyone! Everyone on the side of truth listens to me, Jesus says.

What Is this "good confession?" That Jesus is who he says he is - king of kings and lord of lords and God of very Gods!

So, Timothy, I charge you in front of these two witnesses - the God who created all that was, is, and shall ever be, and his Son, Jesus, who is King of Kings - I call upon these persons here present to witness that I am charging you, Timothy, to do what I am calling you to do.

That's bringing out the big guns!

"I charge you" is the key to this chunk of Scripture, and for that, you need to go back to what I said in my comments on 1 Tim. 5:21, "I charge you to keep these instructions..."

An important requirement for a "charge" is for there to be witnesses. In this case, Paul points to God, and to Christ Jesus, His Son.

Let's break this down.

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything...

God the Father, the creator of the universe, is watching! In the beginning, he created all life, and he continues to give life to all. With Adam, the first man, "the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). The Father gives life, and also sustains it.

There is this idea out there that there might be a God somewhere, but he's not actually involved in our world. It's like a clock-maker who made the clock, wound up its spring, and has now stepped away and is just letting it run down. What happens in the world he created is just not interesting to him. He doesn't care.

That is not what the Bible teaches. The Father is very much involved, cares very much, loves very much, and both sustains our lives and gives life every day. In fact, he is involved in every conception that takes place. David the Psalmist wrote, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb" (Psalm 139:13). God didn't just "make us," he made me - and you. He brought together the DNA of father and mother to create a brand new life.

Based on all we know, there is no reason to believe that life begins at any time other than conception. Any other view is arbitrary - "Life begins when there is a heart-beat," "Life begins at 3 months" or "6 months" or "at viability" or "at birth." It seems so simple to say that life begins when that new life has been created - when an egg has been fertilized by a sperm.

Every life is a gift from God. It begins when he causes it to begin by bringing together the necessary ingredients and it continues until…

Okay, so when does life end? I have to say when we have taken our last breath. In some cases, life can be sustained for a while after we can no longer breath on our own. Respirators can continue to pump oxygen into our lungs, and carbon dioxide out. Our lungs then take that oxygen, put it in our blood, which goes throughout our body and brain to keep us alive. So I believe the modern definition would have more to do with a functioning brain and brainwave activity. If the heart is pumping, and the lungs are working, but the brain is dead, we've now accepted that life has ended. And we begin talking about harvesting healthy organs to sustain the lives of others. What an incredible God, who created us in such a way that many of the parts of our non-functioning body can be used by others! And what incredible discoveries there have been in recent years of how to circumvent the protections built into our bodies that would reject such creativity! We truly are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Over the last number of years, we've talked a lot about quality of life, and not just sustainability of life. I'm thinking of the person who is bed-ridden with Parkinson's Disease, or Alzheimer's, or cancer, or any number of diseases which cause immobility, unbearable pain, or complete disorientation. The question becomes, at what point is life no longer worth living?

I don't pretend to be an expert in this area by any means, but it seems reasonable that as long as a body is capable of functioning on its own, no active means should be taken to bring life to an end. I also know that this could be an incredibly difficult time for everyone involved. No one likes to see a loved one suffer.

Final Charge to Timothy

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Paul's message to persevere continues with this challenge to hold on and not let go!

The picture I get in my mind is somebody swinging from a rope, while they're being lifted out of danger by a helicopter.

I don't know what was going on in Timothy's life, but there are probably some clues throughout this letter. He's in leadership, and leadership is hard. He's facing opposition from both within the church and from the community. There are false teachers. There are his own temptations and trials. He apparently has stomach issues. And maybe, just maybe, Paul knew that his spiritual son was on the verge of quitting.

Do you know what it's called the day that pastors very seriously think of quitting the ministry? Monday.

But this message is not just about quitting the ministry. It's about quitting the faith.

The end result of faith is eternal life. Timothy, don't lose it!

Timothy, you were called by God to be his forever child!

Timothy, you made a good and true confession of the faith - being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Timothy, you have confessed your faith and your calling in front of many witnesses!

Don't let go! Whatever you do, don't let go!

Maybe you're holding on to the rope, you can feel your fingers slipping, and it's time to reposition your hands to get a new grip! With increased tenacity, get a fresh grip!

Let's break this down.

Timothy, you were called by God. You were chosen by God. He selected you to be his forever child.

There's a lot about election that I don't understand, but it seems to be a vehicle God has used throughout history to make Himself known. He chose Abraham to be the father of God's chosen people - Israel. Romans 4 is a fascinating chapter which delves into Abraham's faith as the vehicle for his salvation.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Abraham was chosen by God, he responded in faith believing what God had told him, and as a result, God's will came to pass. It's this strange combination of our faith and God's faithfulness that created the family of God.

In the same way, I really don't understand the call of God into ministry. Yes, every believer is called into ministry, but some are called into full time ministry to become pastors and teachers. To neglect that call is to miss out on the very best the Lord has for you. To respond to that call is to place before you an adventure which is hard to describe. To go into full-time ministry where there is no call is to enter a life of unbelievable strain and heart-ache. If you haven't been in pastoral ministry, you would have no idea what I am talking about.

I also know what it's like to be called, to respond, and to be in a system where you can be sent where God has not called you. If/when that happens, all you can do is your best to obey what God is calling you to do while you are there, knowing that He will still use you. But the toll it can place on your very being is hard to bear.

12 Fight the good fight of the faith.

At age 19, Harry Read joined the military in his native England, and went to war to defeat Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime. His service included parachuting into Normandy on D-Day. A few years later, he joined a different army - the Salvation Army - as an officer and pastor. We met him when he was Chief Secretary (second in command) in Canada. He has lived quite a life, including parachuting into Normandy again to celebrate 75 years since D-Day - at age 95! He knew what it was to be a good soldier. It was this life-long experience that led him to write:

God’s soldier marches as to war –

A soldier on an alien shore,

A soldier true, a soldier who

Will keep the highest aims in view.

God’s soldier goes where sin is found;

Where evil reigns, his battleground,

A cunning foe to overthrow

And strike for truth a telling blow.

We’re going to fill, fill, fill the world with glory;

We’re going to smile, smile, smile and not frown;

We’re going to sing, sing, sing the Gospel story;

We’re going to turn the world upside down.

Every year when a new session of Cadets enter The Salvation Army's College for Officer's Training, they receive a name that is used in every training college throughout the world. When we marched into 2130 Bayview Ave. in Toronto in September, 1979, we were welcomed as "God's Soldiers." Commissioner Read's song became our unofficial sessional song.

Growing up in the Salvation Army meant being quite fluent in the military terminology which was, and still is, used. But I think the most powerful part of this metaphor is the recognition that we are part of a spiritual war that has real-world consequences. I'm afraid much of the church has missed this. The war that began in the garden of Eden continues to this day, and it will not end until Jesus returns to reign for all eternity. Until then, there will be skirmishes and battles and injuries and martyrs.

When King David was still a shepherd boy, he brought lunch to his brothers, who were at the battlefront, taking on the Philistines, led by a giant of a man named Goliath. The Israelites were being shamed by them, and David's impression was that they were cowering in fear. His response was to say to his brothers, "What are you thinking? They are not more powerful than our God! You know the story. David stands before Goliath, armed only with a sling a 5 stones, and cries out,

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”" (1 Sam. 17:45-47).

If it was up to us, in this battle against the powers of darkness, we would lose. Period. But it's not. Trust him, and be a good soldier!

Commissioner Harry Read was Promoted to Glory on December 21, 2021. I have a feeling that when he arrived in the presence of God, he reported for duty.

Final Charge to Timothy

1. 11 But you, man of God,

2. flee from all this,

3. and pursue righteousness,

4. godliness,

5. faith,

6. love,

7. Endurance

8. and gentleness.

God isn't actually a "Thou shalt not" God, which is how many see him. Following Him is not just a bunch of things you are not allowed to do because some cosmic kill-joy says so. He also points us toward correct behaviour if we are to enjoy the best life we could possibly imagine.

So here, Paul tells us to "pursue" - chase after, run toward, and he gives us six facets of what it means to be a man of God. Or, better yet, it's like 6 circles of a Venn diagram which overlap, and with "Person of God" in the middle where they all come together.

Righteousness: Being in right standing with God, even though the only one who is truly righteous is God himself. We see someone like Abram being credited as righteous in Gen. 15:6 because he "believed the Lord." It's not a matter of righteous behaviour, because we will always miss the mark. Righteousness is a matter of belief, of faith - not conduct. The good news is that through Jesus, your unrighteousness can be replaced by His righteousness - not because we deserve it, but because He loved you enough to take the penalty for your lack of righteousness. But that doesn't give us license to behave as we wish!

Godliness: Godlike? Me? The only way we could possibly do that is to diminish the immeasurable creator God and put Him in a me-sized box. But we can approach life with an attitude which increasingly shows the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Godliness is one of the attributes Peter mentions in his second letter:

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

Faith: Faith is the foundation of being a person of God, and at its core, faith is trust. It means actually basing our actions upon the trustworthiness of someone else. We can trust things (like I trust my car will safely take me to Burnaby and back), but trusting in a person takes that to a new level. When we board a plane, we trust the pilot to know what he's doing, and deliver us safely to our destination. Especially, it's when things don't go right, and there's a mechanical problem with the plane, or there are weather issues, or other complications. It's about having faith in and trusting someone to navigate through the storms of life.

Love: Agape love is the self-sacrificing, all-in "God so loved the world that He gave" kind of love. So it only stands to reason that being a person of God would mean being a source of this kind of love as well as reflecting the love of God to those around us. It's not an emotion, or a feeling, or warm fuzzies - it's a love that says, "I would willingly die for you." And that's just what Jesus did for us, so why would we hold back? Love as Jesus loved. Live as Jesus lived.

Endurance: Endurance means not giving up. It means persevering. It means not quitting. Resilience. Intensity. Tenacity. To use sports analogies, it's playing through the pain, giving 110%, "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose." Refuse to lose! Refuse to quit! Running through the finish line. When Paul writes to the church in Rome, he says

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:4-6).

Final Charge to Timothy

1. 11 But you, man of God,

2. flee from all this,

Run from "all this."

What is all this? In a nutshell, isn't it the love of money, which is a root of all kinds of evil, that has caused some to wander from the faith and bring grief on themselves?

For some reason, this made me think of the classic horror movies (which I don't watch) where there's a ghost or a monster or an evil maniac in the basement, and for some reason the teenage girl, usually wearing little, has to go down the dark stairs, after flipping the light switch several times and discovering that the power has gone out. What could go wrong? And the people in the theatre are thinking (or screaming!) "NO! Don't go down there! This isn't going to end well for you! RUN!"

Okay, it would be a very short movie if she left the haunted house or the decrepit mansion or the dark basement and instead went home. But who wants to live in a horror movie? When there is danger in front of you, run!

I also think of the first responders whose job it is to run into the mayhem, the fire, the gun-toting gang, or the enemy. For the rest of us, we are safer and so are they if we exit the scene as quickly as possible.

Don't dawdle. Don't hang around long enough to get the adrenalin rush that comes with danger. Get out of there! If you're finding yourself being reeled in by the power of the love of money, spit the bait out of your mouth! Remember that the root of the word "deceit" is fishhook. No fish ever said to itself, "That fishhook looks tasty!" but they have said, "That little morsel - that chunk of worm - that lure - looks good enough to eat!"

Good word - lure. So attractive, and so deadly! The definition of "alluring" is "powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating, seductive." The love of money is enticing, seductive, captivating, enchanting, magnetizing - and deadly.

And our immediate response is probably, "No problem. I can handle this. I won't let any of this get in the way of my relationship with the Lord. I'm different - I can control myself. And besides, God wants what's best for me…" and the hook is set.

RUN! Do not walk.

If you are in a building, and the fire alarm goes off, what do you do?

Well, I think first of all, you make sure it's a real alarm. Then, you would try to get a sense of where the fire is. If it's in the garbage basket beside your desk, you would respond differently than if it's at the other end of the building. And you would respond differently if it's on a floor below you than if it's on a floor above you. But your goal ought to be to get out of there (unless you can put out the fire next to your desk) as quickly and as safely as you can. Run? Probably not, unless it's right on top of you, but don't dawdle!

I don't think we always understand the urgency that Paul is conveying here. We can often see these kinds of warnings as being for others, but not for us, because we can handle it. But why chance it? What makes you think you are so special? Do you think you can handle yourself? Really?

Do you want to be victorious in your relationship with God? Do you want to be remembered as a person of God? Then RUN from "these things."

With this week's "Timothy My Son," we're entering Paul's Final Charge to Timothy. He's already done some really powerful teaching, but it's nearly time to say good-bye.

Paul begins this section by writing, "But you, man of God

There are a lot of things I would like to be said at my memorial service. Faithful husband, good father, great grandpa! Sports fan. Lover of all kinds of music (except Country and Western. Okay, some of it's okay, but I'm definitely not a big fan of twang). Lover of Scriptures. A life-long learner.

But if it was to be narrowed down to three words, it would be these three: Man of God.

It's not that my attitudes or actions would always measure up. Quite simply, they don't. The people who know me best would acknowledge - but hopefully, they would still see me as a man of God. I would consider that to be my greatest legacy - to live in such a way, even with all my shortcomings, that those closest to me would know that I'm devoted to God. I am his man. And then to take that relationship into eternity.

So, what does a man of God look like? In its perfect image, wouldn't it have to be Jesus?

There's a chorus we learned many years ago that says

To be like Jesus, this hope possesses me

In every thought and deed, this is my aim, my creed

To be like Jesus, this hope possesses me

His Spirit helping me, like Him I'll be

When Jesus is the most God-like being who has ever been (because He is God), why would you set your sights lower? On the one hand, what an incredible roll model! On the other hand, how impossible to reach those heights, when Jesus is in a class all by himself.

If your goal is to be the best, you have to look to the best.

To be the best goal scorer in the NHL, you have to look to Wayne Gretzky.

To be the best leader in the NBA, you have to look at Michael Jordan.

To be the best tennis player in the world, you have to look at Roger Federer or Serena Williams.

To be the best quarterback in the NFL, I hate to say it, but you have to look at Tom Brady.

To be the best man of God, you have to look to Jesus Christ.

There are a lot of really solid examples we have seen in action - Billy Graham and Mother Teresa come to mind immediately. They have now gone to be with the Lord.

And unfortunately, there are other names that I am reluctant to mention simply because so many in recent years have let the Christian community down. I don't want to mention those who have disappointed us, and I'm afraid that the names I would like to mention might.

I have a Vancouver Canucks jersey that I bought 12 years ago, when thy were making a huge charge toward the Stanley Cup. But it doesn't have anyone's name on it. I've thought about buying a jersey for several of the teams I love, but there are three reasons I haven't.

1. I'm cheap. I really don't want to spend the money to get a name on it!

2. I'm afraid that as soon as I get one, that player will be traded, and I'll feel stupid.

3. I'm afraid they'll do something stupid, and I'll never want to be seen in public with their name emblazoned on my back.

I'll never have that problem when I identify with Jesus. Be a person of God. There is no greater honour.

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Admiral Akbar sends a strong warning that the Rebel Alliance is heading into danger in the original Star Wars trilogy: We're flying into a trap! Turn now! Flee! Get to safety! Or to quote another space character, "Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!"

Traps are made to be attractive to rodents and other vermin. Cheese, peanut butter or meat can be used to bait the trap, but the implication is, "Come on in! Nothing bad is going to happen to you!" and then SNAP! It's a TRAP! And its too late.

If getting rich is your priority in life, you will be surrounded by traps.

You will be deceived by the world, the flesh and the devil into thinking that others get caught in traps, but not you. You'll never be tempted by "foolish and harmful desires." You're too smart! Oh, if intelligence was all that it took to overcome temptations!

Money gives you options you wouldn't have otherwise. You can drive better cars, live in better homes in better neighbourhoods, get a better education, and spend time with people who have better cars, homes, neighbourhoods, etc. You get the idea. You may not be more beautiful, but you afford better cosmetics, clothes, procedures, and treatments. And the more you have, the more you have, the better you feel about yourself, right? Wrong.

I remember saying we live in a part of the world where even our cars have their own houses. For much of the world, having a safe place to lay your head at night is a luxury.

We're spoiled, by world-wide standards, and yet there is no such thing as enough.

And then there's the issue of how you get the money that will trap you. Sometimes devious, and sometimes downright criminal acts can be considered normal. Too many examples come to mind, but Bernie Madoff is right up there. So does Jeffrey Epstein. But so do some salesmen I've met through the years. When making the sale is all that matters, some will go to any lengths. My fear is that so many of our politicians will lie, cheat and steal to retain power - which may be what the real trap is.

And it's no surprise that people have been known to leave their faith behind when they sought riches in this world, in stead of laying up treasure in heaven.

It seems to me that if you have any priority over your relationship with Jesus, eventually you will either turn your back on that priority, or on Jesus.

But the bright, shiny object seems to good! And it's almost (never actually is, but almost) within our grasp! Just a little more time this week, just another few weeks, just a few more years, and we'll be there! But enough is always just a little further.

Unless Jesus is enough.

9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

I think of the first sentence of v.10 as being an umbrella statement. It draws together the verses around it and provides the greater, often simpler, context from which everything else in the passage flows. And that's why I'm dealing with verse 10 before verse 9.

You've heard it, and so have: "Money is the root of all evil." Obviously, there are some problems with that statement. The first is that it's the LOVE of money, and second, it A root of ALL Kinds of evil.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength, and love our neighbour as yourself." Money isn't on the list. In fact, throughout Scripture, you're in trouble if you love anything material.

Jesus really was concerned about our spiritual lives, and yet he talked more about "stuff" than he does prayer! Do you think this is because he knows our human propensity to worship "stuff?" I love the saying, "We buy things with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."

"Stuff" is as much about who you're trying to impress as it is about what your needs are.

I can make a pretty good argument that when we bought our current Nissan Altima, it was a really good investment. It was our third Altima in a row, having owned them previously for 4 and 9 years. The second one now had well over 200,000 KM on it, and there were going to be a lot of repairs coming in the next year or so. It was logical to replace it, since, to be honest, I am completely incapable of doing any kind of maintenance on a vehicle. Well, that's not quite true - I can change tires and windshield wipers, on a good day, but that's about it. Anyway, it was time.

So, we got a new one. For my sixteenth birthday, no less.

So, we bought this car for all the right reasons, right? Actually, Dave Ramsey wouldn't agree with that, but I can live with that.

And yet, I often wonder, "What do other people think about my car? Would they think better of me if I got a new one? This one's almost 8 years old! What does it say about me if I'm driving an old car? What will people think?"

And all the stuff about stuff comes to mind. Wanting people to be jealous of what we have? Wanting people to be envious? Putting on a show? Living beyond our means? I feel like I could go on and on and on…

Love people. Use things. Don't use people and love things. It always ends badly.