What to Flee from and What to Pursue

1 Timothy 6:11–12

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

Paul gives Timothy, and all of us, some clear direction for a life that loves God. There are things to flee from, and there are things to pursue.

To flee means more than casually avoiding something. It means running full speed away from it. In the verses before this, Paul names pride, an “unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels,” and the love of money. These attitudes are very common but pull the heart . . . . away from God and damage our relationships with others. Christians should not make room for them. We flee from them!

Then Paul tells us what to pursue: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. A pursuit is something we actively go after. We speak of hobbies, careers, and happiness as pursuits. Those are the things we give time, attention, and energy to. But are these Christian qualities truly the things we dive into daily? So often we do the opposite. We chase comfort, recognition, wealth, or winning an argument. We move slowly away from sin and only halfheartedly toward what is good.

Love for God knows which direction to go. It runs from materialism, pride, and human conflict. It puts heart and soul into godly goals. Above all, we pursue what is good because God loved us first. Jesus never chased what was wrong. He put his whole heart into our redemption. Through his cross, he gives us forgiveness, eternal life, and new strength to fight the good fight of faith.