Life of Wonder

1 Timothy 6:11

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (NIV)

But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. (The Message)

These two verses are from one of this week's lectionary readings -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19. As I was reading a Disciplines devotional this week, and reading the passage in my parallel Bible, I was struck by one thing. Look at the line of adjectives and how Eugene Peterson has translated them:

righteousness = righteous life
godliness = life of wonder
faith = faith
love = love
endurance = steadiness
gentleness = courtesy
Most of those translations are pretty easy to follow. It's the parallel between godliness and a life of wonder that stopped me.

First of all, Paul is not urging Timothy to become God. He is telling him to pursue a life in which he is Christ-like -- that transformed life in which we act like Christ in the world. Godliness, not the assumption of God's role. Important, important difference.

How is it then, that a life of godliness is a life lived in wonder?

What then does it mean to live a life like God would live it? I'm going to step back once again to Dr. Dongell's lectures that I've talked about for the past two days. A godly life is one lived with an outer focus, not an inner, selfish focus. When we live life with a center focus, we find that we are selfish. We live a life of greed, of bitterness. We live outside of generosity, because we cannot afford to be generous. We focus on ourselves.

When we make that transformation, and turn from inward focus, to outward focus, we have eyes which will see the presence of God. That actions of God. The beauty of other people. The grace that God offers us, and that he sends us through those outside of ourselves. We live a godly life. We live a life of wonder. We live in amazement.