“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” (1 Tim 6:11-16).
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “whatever it takes”. That phrase expresses an attitude that we should possess as Christians. When I read this passage in 1 Timothy I think of this phrase. There are different levels of commitment in life. On one level there are price tags on items, jobs where there are estimates and bids, and spreadsheets where there are budgets. Then there is the highest level. The “whatever it takes level”. When something is important enough to pay “whatever it takes”. When the job is of such importance that one must have a “whatever it takes” attitude to accomplish it. It’s at that level that we prepare ourselves to purchase it/do the work even if we don’t know how long or how much it will take, or how difficult it will be. Marriage is a commitment that requires a “whatever it takes” attitude. No one sits down before a couple gets married and gives them a spreadsheet detailing the exact amount of commitments, sacrifices, or choices their marriage will require. Rearing children requires a “whatever it takes” attitude. When parents are having a child they do not sit down and decide on how many diapers it will take, how many times or how often they will discipline, or how many nights they will lose sleep.
It is the same with our commitment to God. What do we need to do to respond to God’s grace? We ought to do “whatever it takes”. God did “whatever it took” to save us. We need to obey Him, serve Him, and be faithful to Him “WHATEVER IT TAKES”.