Passage Read: Titus 1-2
Meditation Verses: 2:9-10
Thought
This is true for everyone under any authority. We make the teaching about God our Savior attractive by our complete obedience, showing that we can be trusted in everything. We can't make others believe by our behavior or by our words, but that doesn't mean we're not obligated to speak and to have a behavior that shows the truth of God to be attractive. Of course, this kind of obedience, which is truly love for the one in authority, may not sound very attractive to the one under authority, but that's not what Paul says here. That commitment to serve our authority is attractive to our authority, and in fact, makes us attractive to them as well. If our authority can fully trust us, he will hold us in higher regard, we become more valuable to him, more precious to him, and he can entrust more things to us. It is sacrifice and surrender on our part to begin with, but it can result in great benefit even to us, as we become a favored, even invaluable servant in our master's eyes.
Application
This is my commission in whatever job I have, to submit to my supervisor or boss in everything, to seek to please him or her, not talking back, not stealing anything (time, emotional energy, stuff, anything), but to show them I can be fully trusted in whatever task or responsibility I'm given, trusted to guard and promote their goals and interests. If I serve an unbeliever, this should make the Gospel and all Christian teaching attractive to them. If I serve a believer, then my service benefits a brother or sister. Unbelievers likewise under authority may think I'm an idiot, but my behavior will also be a warning to them that they owe God the same kind of obedience. Perhaps God will use that to convict them; perhaps they'll see the benefit that comes from earning the trust of a superior. Not with mere eye-service, but in truth, doing the will of God from the heart.