“Teach older men to be… self-controlled… Train younger women… to be self-controlled… Encourage the young men to be self-controlled” … “Eager to do what is good… Ready to do whatever is good… Careful to devote themselves to doing good… Learn to devote themselves to doing what is good” Titus 2:2-6,14 & 3:1,8,14.

At Beacon’s recent Men’s Retreat, we studied the short book of Titus, written to a committed younger man who was a Christian leader, living in a tough society very much like Canada is today. I was struck by the exhortation repeated to both men and women, young and old: We should live a self-controlled life! Not a self-indulgent one, as consumerism would encourage us; nor a lazy or selfish lifestyle, but one that is purposeful and self-controlled. May God help us, as we live out this year, to grow in self-control - in all our habits, our relationships, our character and our walk with God.

Another very evident challenge in Titus is for us to do what is good. Because it is not enough that we should seek to avoid doing evil: The Christian life is meant to be positively filled with doing what is good! Four times we read: be “eager”, be “ready”, be “carefully devoted” and “learn” to do “what is good”! May each of us grow this year in doing what is good - in our family relationships, in how we treat fellow students and workers, in how we invest our life and resources for eternity. May the Lord be able to welcome us on that day: “well done, you good and faithful servant”.

Perhaps God is calling you this year, as part of growing in self-control and in doing what is good to volunteer to serve at Beacon in some capacity that fits with your gifts and talents? Take courage and step up in faith. God will help you!

With all our best wishes from us both and from all of us at Beacon,

Andrew “Monk” & Marianne “Tia” Nunn