Paul is writing to Titus in Crete. Titus had been with Paul on his journeys and is being trusted to build up the church in Crete and appoint leadership for the community.
In the first chapter, he gives a list of virtues that should be present in those chosen to positions of leadership. He also gives a warning that there are people in the community who are causing problems with false teachings.
Paul is therefore giving him advice as to how members of the community can help. The older men and women are to give good example to the younger generation.
The other day a friend and I were discussing a problem we are having in our community with the teens and preteens.
One of the problems is kids riding their bikes in the middle of the street doing "wheelies." They are not wearing helmets – which is illegal – and they seem to be taunting the drivers.
A second problem is teenagers, again in groups, on bikes, who when they see a car coming, get off the bikes and lay down in the street. Now, you can imagine what this is doing to people who are driving, and how dangerous it is to the kids.
One of the comments we made was that the adults in the community are not giving good example to the younger generation because they don't wear helmets and don't enforce the rules of the road with their own children.
Now, I'm using this as an example of how important it is to be good examples of faith to the next generation.
If we don't care about following God's laws, why should they?
If we don't care for the poor, why should they?
What we do speaks volumes to those who come after us.
May we also take Paul's advice to heart and bear witness to our faith in our actions and in our words.
