1 Timothy Study #14

“Fleeing These While Pursuing Those”

1 Timothy 6:11-16

Study #14 in 1 Timothy Series 

INTRODUCTION:

I hate running! I really do! So, if anybody ever tells you that Mike Wilson is signed up for a race of any kind, unless it involves motorcycles, you have my personal permission to call them a “gosh-darned gold-plated prevaricator.” In fact, if you ever see me running, you’d better start running too, and I mean immediately and fast, because you can bet your life that there’s something big and ugly and hairy and mean on my heels. In that kind of scenario, I am fast on my feet for an old guy! You see, I don’t have to out-run the nasty critter that’s chasing me. I only have to outrun YOU, if you get my drift!

TRANSITION:

No sir, I do not like running, but I think that the Apostle Paul was kind of “into” all kinds of athletics, something of a sports fan. In his writings he often uses word-pictures derived from athletic competition. In his day, both the Greeks and the Romans had great respect for all kinds of sports, especially foot races, track-and-field events, and personal combat matches. So, in his writings we hear Paul talking about Christians “running the race”, and “fighting the good fight”, and “competing according to the rules”, and “winning the victor’s crown.” 

In our text for this week, Paul tells Timothy that in this life there are some things that he needs to run away from—to flee from. On the other hand, there are things he needs to chase after—to pursue. In both cases he is to run with vigor, passion, and purpose. Paul is not talking about a nice leisurely trot through the park. He is talking about a full-on foot race as if your life depended on it; the way crooks run from the cops, and the way the cops pursue the bad guys.

I like the show, “COPS.” Some of you can probably even sing the theme song, “Bad boy, bad boy, what ya gonna do, what ya gonna do when they come for you? Bad boy, bad boy.” You know the one I am talking about. It was especially fun for Ramel and me because they often used to show episodes filmed in Portland with officers from the Portland Police Bureau, many of whom we knew personally, which made the program more fun to watch. They often show police chases where the bad guy drives off and the cop follows him. Finally, the bad guy pulls over, jumps out of the car, and takes off running. He is fleeing for all he is worth. The cop quickly pulls over and chases after the suspect, running full speed, which is not easy with all the gear they carry. You have two men, both running their hardest—one is fleeing, one is pursuing—but they both are giving it everything they have. With that picture in mind let’s look at our text for this week. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 11: But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 

• So here in this verse we have Paul mentioning some things from which Timothy should flee/run away from, and a list of things he should pursue/run after with the purpose of capturing them.
• “But flee from these things” This is a strong command. Paul chooses the Greek word pheugo, which means to flee from, or away from. The word came into Latin as fugio, and into English in words like “fugitive.” That is why I used the scenario of a suspect running away from the police. He is a fugitive, so he flees with all his might. “OK,” you say, “but flee from what things, Paul?” This is where we must link this text with last week’s text. Last week we studied 6:1-10 where Paul lists several things that Timothy should avoid.
• The desire for freedom from rules and restrictions (vs. 1-2)
• The desire for power and notoriety (vs. 3-8)
• The desire for riches and material possessions (vs. 9-10)
• “…and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” The tense of this verb that Paul chooses means to pursue and keep on pursuing. In other words, we should employ the same vigor and intensity in pursuing things pertaining to the faith and to godliness, as we do in fleeing from things that lead us away from the faith. And Paul does not leave us guessing—he spells out exactly what we, along with Timothy, should be pursuing with all our energy. Notice that the things on this list are character traits and the fruits of the Spirit-controlled life (cf. Galatians 5:22-23). “…righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance [i.e., endurance], and gentleness.”   

Verse 12: Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.   

• “Fight the good fight of faith” I like this because we have a son who was a professional, mixed martial-arts fighter. He can still knock your head off your shoulders before you know what hit you. That boy really knows how to fight! Paul is not talking here about sparring or shadow boxing, but about really fighting to win. He is talking about mortal combat.
• “…take hold of the eternal life to which you were called,” In the Scriptures “eternal life” is presented as a gift (cf. John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-10). It is also viewed as a present experience (John 10:10). Additionally, it is spoken of as a reward (Mark 10:29-30; Luke 18:29-30). By “take hold” Paul is not talking about Timothy’s salvation—that was all taken care of when he put his faith in Christ. Rather, he is encouraging Timothy to lay claim on God’s promises of victory and fruitfulness in this life and of rewards in the next. Many Christians mistakenly believe that “eternal life” begins with physical death. They see death as the door into the eternal kingdom and the presence of God. However, the Bible says that our eternal life begins the moment we come to know Jesus Christ. It is something the Christian already has—right now! 
• Check out the prayer of Jesus in John 17:1-3, Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to Heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, ² even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.  ³ This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Another wonderful text is 1 John 5:11-13. “And the testimony is this: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  ¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.  ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 
• “…eternal life, to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Paul is reminding Timothy of that day many years before when he trusted in Christ, and perhaps of the day when God unmistakably called him into the ministry and he said, “Yes” to God. Furthermore, I think that Paul is reminding Timothy of his testimony of conversion at his baptism, as well as his confession and testimony of God’s call on that day when he was ordained by the church to the ministry of preaching the Word of God. 

Verses 13-14: I charge you in the presence of God [i.e., the Father], who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus [i.e., the Son], who testified the good confession [literally, “gave witness”] before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

• “I charge you…” This is a powerful statement, and it shows just how serious a business this was to Paul. He calls on God the Father and God the Son to be his two witnesses. To “charge” means, “to command.”  Looking at the wider context, Paul here is exhorting Timothy to avoid getting caught up in empty religious argumentation (cf. 6:3-5), and the greed of materialism (6:6-10) because these are two things that the devil loves to use to side-track ministers of the Gospel. Instead, Timothy is charged to remain faithful to Christ until the Lord’s return. This is important because no one can focus both on the shortness of the hour before the return of Christ, and at the same time, on the desire to make money and get rich. Jesus said, “No man can serve God and money.” The fact that Jesus might return at any moment should motivate us to live godly lives and grasp material things very lightly, because we cannot take it with us. (2 Peter 3:10-16; 1 John 2:28)
• “…in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate…” God the Father is the Author of Life and the Architect of Salvation. Jesus is the promised Messiah who came to be our Redeemer and Sin-Bearer. Paul is referring to Jesus’ courage and steadfastness even as He stood before His accusers, knowing that He was headed for the cross.
• “…that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing [lit. epiphany] of our Lord Jesus Christ,” This is the heart of the charge. I do not believe that Paul is thinking of only one single commandment, but rather, all these things that he has just mentioned in the preceding verses of this chapter. Let’s look back at them:
• Verses 1-2, Timothy is to teach the principles of how Christian slaves are to live and work in that culture so as not to not bring reproach on the Gospel.
• Verses 3-5, He is to rebuke and exhort the false teachers who are teaching wrong doctrine and sowing disunity in the body.
• Verses 5-6, He is to teach and model true godliness, not the counterfeit piety of the false teachers.
• Verses 6-8, He must teach and model genuine Christian contentment.
• Verses 9-10, Timothy is charged with avoiding the pitfalls that come from covetousness and the desire for riches and possessions.
• Verse 11, He is commanded to flee from all forms of unrighteousness, and pursue/chase after everything that is good, and righteous, and godly.
• Verse 12, Paul exhorts Timothy to fight for the faith; to contend for the truth and lay hold of the eternal things that God offers, rather than grasp for the things of this life that do not last.
• And Paul says that Timothy is to do all this without stain/spot [i.e., without sin] or reproach [i.e., guilt opening the door to justifiable criticism]. 

Verse 15: …which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, 

• Now this is a little bit tricky to unpack. “…which He will bring about…” Who exactly? Is Paul referring to Jesus or to the Father? After all, they are both mentioned in verse 13 at the beginning of this long run-on sentence (vs. 13-16), and Jesus is spoken of again at the end of 14. One of the tools we use in interpreting language in cases like this where we have questionable pronouns is to look for what is called “the nearest antecedent”, which means the nearest clear personal noun. The rule of thumb is that if there are 2 nouns [in this case God, and Jesus] and 1 pronoun [He] then the pronoun refers to the nearest antecedent. In this case it would be the clear mention of Jesus at the end of verse 14. The problem is that Jesus stated in Acts 1:6-7 that only the Father knows the time of the Second Coming. But this verse sounds like Jesus does know the time. But there is no conflict here. When the Father says, “GO!” then the Son will obey because He always does the will of the Father.
• “…the blessed and only Sovereign” An interesting word, δυνάστης. It means Potentate (cf. KJV), an absolute Ruler. Jesus has that much authority! “King of kings, and Lord of lords” This Greek word is an oriental title that means, “The KING over all those who rule as kings, and the LORD of all who rule as lords.” We see the same title used to describe Jesus in Revelation 17:14 and 19:16.

Verse 16: …who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen. 

• Paul is still talking about Jesus, the Son. Many scholars believe that verses 15-16 were part of an ancient hymn of praise that was commonly used in the Apostolic Church of the 1^st Century. We do not know for certain. 

CONCLUSION:

Look back at verse 11. Notice that Paul addresses Timothy as “…you man of God.” And what virtue best identifies a person as a “man/woman of God”? Godliness. Now notice how many times the word “godliness” shows up in this letter. Paul uses this word only in his Pastoral Epistles, but in none of his other writings. It is one of the key words in this letter. Paul uses it eight (8) times in 1 Timothy. Let’s review those.

• In 2:2 Paul says that Christians should… “lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.”
• In 4:7-8 he says that we must… “Have nothing to do with worldly fables but discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness; because  godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
• In 6:6 Paul tells us that… “Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.” He is referring, of course, to spiritual gain, not monetary gain.
• Then in 6:11 Paul commands Timothy to… “pursue godliness” with the purpose of having it rule in his life. 

“Godliness” simply means to be God-like. As men and women of God, we are called to make our lifelong goal to be so much like Jesus that someone could honestly address us as, “you man of God” or “you woman of God” without going into a fit of coughing and choking. 

One more thing… What do you really cherish? In this text Paul makes it clear that besides godliness Christians should cherish the return of Christ and the life to come. We are to live out our days and carry out our service in the joyful light of His Second Coming, His Second Epiphany (appearing). And these two things, godliness and expectantly awaiting His return, are closely related because if we are truly walking in godliness, then we will not dread His appearing, but rather will long for it, will welcome it, will rejoice to see it happen. Moreover, if we are truly walking in godliness, we will work for Him all the more faithfully, knowing that we will someday hear His words of praise and commendation, “Well done, My good and faithful servant. Welcome home! Enter the joy of your Master.”

1 Timothy Study #13

“Chasing the Wrong Rabbit”

1 Timothy 6:1-10

Study #13 in 1 Timothy Series 

INTRODUCTION:

Have you ever been to a Greyhound Race? Greyhound racing has been around since 1876 and is immensely popular in the United States, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. In recent years there have been attempts by animal-rights groups to curtail the sport because they claim that the dogs are all being abused. While it is undoubtedly true that there are rare cases of abuse, overall, the dog owners feel the same way about their dogs as champion horse-breeders feel about their racehorses. First, they pay a lot of money to buy them. Good racing dogs do not come cheap. So, the owners treat their dogs with kindness and give them the best of everything because they need the dogs to be in good shape to race. Of course, in most places around the world the purpose of the whole sport is for pari-mutuel gambling, which I do not condone, but dog-racing itself is not evil per se. 

That said, do you know how they get the dogs to run? They use a mechanical “hare”, which is an artificial lure that travels ahead of the dogs on a rail until the greyhounds cross the finish line. The “hare” goes all the way around the track just out in front of the dogs’ noses. Their instinct is to chase the rabbit. It must be frustrating for them however, because they are never allowed to catch it. For them, catching and eating the rabbit is the “impossible dream.” 

TRANSITION:

In today’s text the Apostle Paul talks about another kind of “impossible dream,” not for dogs, but for people. Almost everyone has something that they think would make them happy and fulfilled if they could just get their hands on it. They say, “If I could just have THAT, then my life would be perfect, and I could kick back and be totally satisfied.” But that kind of thinking does not lead to contentment, but rather to discontentment. Paul wants us to learn how to be content wherever we are, and in whatever state we find ourselves. That is because real contentment can only be found in Christ, not in a change of our circumstances or in possessing more things. Let’s look at 1 Timothy chapter 6.

 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.

·       Here Paul directly addresses Christians in the Ephesian church who were slaves. As odd as this sounds to us, this was a common situation back in that day. Estimates are that between 30-50% of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves, and many of the early Christians were owned by someone. Yet Paul says that these believing slaves were to give their unbelieving masters “all honor” and respect “so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.”

·       Paul’s greatest concern was NOT with the fact that some of the believers were slaves, but rather with their behavior amid that social reality. In truth, he never even takes up the subject of whether slavery, as an institution, was moral or immoral. It was just a reality that had to be dealt with. I believe that he probably saw slavery as an evil thing but the way the Christians dealt with it was not to attack it, but rather, to kill it with kindness. In fact, we have here an indication of the way in which Christianity eventually abolished slavery—not by denouncing it, but by implanting the idea of Christian brotherhood, which was incompatible with slavery. Paul’s Letter to Philemon has much to teach us on this subject.

·       If these Christian slaves had begun to rebel and defy their masters, and try to run away, and become disrespectful, their unbelieving masters would have certainly blamed their bad behavior on this new religion that had recently come on the scene—these followers of Jesus, the Nazarene. Paul is saying that the lifestyle and attitudes of a Christian slave should represent well the Christian faith, and Christ Himself.

·       Can you see a parallel here? This teaching applies equally to us today in our workplace situations, whatever they might be. If you as an employee are a pain in the neck for your boss, if you do slipshod work, show up to the job-site late every day, complain about everything, stir up trouble with your workmates, and bad-mouth the boss every chance you get, while at the same time claiming to be a born-again, Bible-believing, church-going, hymn-singing Christian, do you not think that your boss is going to come to the conclusion that your Christ, your Christianity, and your claims to piety are as worthless as a screen door on a submarine?

 

Verse 2: Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.

·       Now Paul changes the scenario and speaks to those believing slaves whose masters are Christians. From our modern perspective we might expect Paul to address the masters and tell them to free all their Christian slaves because they are brothers. But he does not do that.

·       He says that a slave with a Christian master should redouble his efforts to be faithful and helpful and reliable, and he should do it for Christ’s sake, in submission and humility, as an act of Christian piety.

·       “...because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved.” Who is he talking about? The slave owner, of course. He is the one who will benefit from the good conduct and faithful service of the slave. If the slave had a Christian master, he was to be even more zealous in his service, since his master, who derived benefit from that service, was a believer like himself, and therefore an object of love.

·       “Teach and preach these principles.” Here we see one of the basic themes of the Pastoral Epistles, which we already saw back in 4:11 and is repeated here. “Right teaching”, according to 1:3 was the principal reason for Paul leaving Timothy at Ephesus in the first place, that he might instruct them in the truth.

·       Here in this phrase Paul uses two imperatives, both important words. The first word, teach, means the formal presentation of doctrine, line upon line, precept upon precept. The second word, rendered preach in the NASV, “exhort” in the KJV, “urge” in the NIV, and “encourage” in the NLT is obviously a slippery word. One thing I can tell you for sure, although I love the NASV and use it most of the time, in this verse the other translations I just cited come much closer to the idea. The Greek word is parakaléo and is the verb from which we get the word, Paraclete, meaning, “one who is called alongside to help.” There is another good Greek word for “preach.” It is kerússo, but that is not the word Paul used here. I think that his choice of parakaléo is significant because it speaks to the way Timothy was to approach people to teach these things in the church; not like a high-handed authority shouting it from the high pulpit, but as a Christian friend coming alongside urging the believers to do the right thing for the sake of their testimony and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Verses 3-5: If anyone advocates a different doctrine [literally, “If anyone teaches differently”] and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, ⁴ he is conceited [lit. puffed-up] and understands nothing; but he has a morbid [lit. diseased] interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language [lit. blasphemies], evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction [lit. perpetual wrangling] between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

·       WOW! Does he ever let them have it? Here we get to the reason why Paul was writing to Timothy about these subjects in the first place, including this last one about the conduct of Christian slaves. Apparently, there were some false teachers around Ephesus who were teaching different things on a variety of subjects. So, Paul wrote this letter to help Timothy sort these things out and come to what should be his position, and what he should teach on these subjects. “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, [even] with the doctrine conforming to godliness...” From some of the things Paul has already said in this letter these false teachers were more interested in theory and theological debates than in knowing and doing the will of God. They loved to wrangle over words, which Paul says is a big waste of time. After all, what is important is not what we think about things, but what God has said and declared to be true. Paul’s motto was: “God says it, I believe it, and that settles it.” Not a bad motto to live by!

·       “...sound words...” The word Paul uses in verse 3 means wholesome, or healthy because they promote spiritual, emotional, and relational health.

·       “...who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” Clearly these false teachers were using religion for their own financial gain. Does that sound like anything you have heard of before, maybe on television? They may have been hoping that their eloquent debates on religion would win them a following of groupies that might result in some financial support, in the same way it worked out for the Greek philosophers.

 

Verse 6: But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

·       We have already seen Paul address this subject in 4:8 where he said that godliness is profitable in every respect, giving the promise not only for this life but also for the life to come.

·       Paul clarifies this here in verse 6 by saying that godliness indeed is a means of great gain, spiritual gain, when it is accompanied by contentment. However, it is certainly not about financial or material gain. That is an aberration, a twisting of the truth. Paul reproves the false teachers, pointing out that godliness is in fact a means of great gain in that it produces in the Christian a resignation and contentment of mind, which prevent the disquieting effects of covetousness, whereas the desire for “gain” (i.e., money, material possessions, political power, advancement, recognition, etc.) leads to every kind of evil doing. What will people not do to get rich, for crying out loud? We all could tell stories about people who sold out their integrity, reputation, family, and friends to try and make a few extra bucks. It is an old and tragic story.

 

Verse 7: For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

·       “For we have brought nothing into the world.” This is a principle of physics as well as theology. The amount of matter in the world is fixed, unchanging. Matter can be rearranged, or it can be transformed into some other kind of matter, but the quantity of matter does not change. When a baby is born it brings nothing into the world. The baby’s very cells are just a rearranging of existing matter. None of us is born carrying a suitcase!

·       “...so, we cannot take anything out of it either.” This could be an epitaph on a tombstone, for it certainly is true. When a person dies the only things that depart are his soul and spirit. His body remains. His clothes remain. His wealth remains. He takes nothing with him. 

Verse 8: If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

• “If we have food and covering…” The word covering here implies both clothing and shelter, both of which are necessary for survival.
• “...with these we shall be content.” This is a statement of commitment as well as contentment. 

Verse 9: But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

·       This chapter describes two types of people in relation to wealth. Here in verse 9 and following Paul talks about those who want to become wealthy. Down in verse 17 he will address those who already are wealthy. The principles he deals with certainly overlap.

·       What Paul is saying here is that an inner lack of godliness and contentment always leaves a vacuum that people fill up with greed.

·       Paul uses the metaphor of a drowning man. The discontent and greed create temptations that lead to snares and sinful desires that act like lead weights tied around the man’s neck, waist, and ankles. They drag him down, and down, deeper, and deeper into the dark icy water where he finds only destruction and ruin and soon drowns.

 

Verse 10: For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

• This is one of the most misquoted verses from the Bible. Most people mistakenly think that it says, “Money is the root of all evil.” However, that is wrong on several counts. Paul does not say, nor do the Scriptures say anywhere else, that money, per se, is evil. He says that “...the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.” Money is not the problem. Loving money is the problem. And loving money is not “the root of all evil” but it is “a root of many kinds of evil.” Do not let people get away with misquoting Scripture because it gives them wrong ideas. We need to be sticklers for “handling accurately the Word of Truth” as we are admonished in 2 Timothy 2:15.
• “... the love of money...has caused some to... wander away from the faith.” You see, the love of money is a form of idolatry, and the Scriptures warn us about the effects of falling into this trap.
• Colossians 3:5, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”
• Ephesians 5:5, “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.”
• 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 

CONCLUSION:

I started this message talking about Greyhound Racing. Those poor dogs spend their lives chasing rabbits that they will never be allowed to catch. But does that stop them? No! Poor dumb animals that they are they just keep chasing that fake rabbit. And if they were ever able to catch the thing, can you imagine their disappointment? Just an old stuffed jackrabbit skin with scent on it to trick the dogs and make them run as if their lives depended on it. 

A lot of people are just that intent on catching their own “rabbit.” In verses 1-2 of today’s text Paul addresses Christians who could easily have fallen for the idea that the only thing that really mattered was getting their freedom, of no longer being slaves. But Paul tells them to be content where they are and do their service faithfully, as unto the Lord. He would say to them, “Don’t waste your time chasing that fake rabbit that will not make you happy.”

Then he addresses the false teachers who were thinking that real contentment would be to be wealthy, and have people want to follow them and become their disciples, hanging on their every word. But that too is a fake rabbit. Wealth and fame are a mirage, promising contentment, and happiness, but in the end bringing destruction and unhappiness.

What fake rabbit have you been chasing? If you are not pursuing the Lord, and “seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” then you are chasing the wrong rabbit, and you will not like it even if you catch it! 

Look again at verse 10. Paul says that “...some have wandered away from the faith” because of their desire to accumulate wealth. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” I have known pastors who left the ministry because they wanted to make more money. I know an ex-missionary who cut his ties with his mission and went to work for a multi­national company because he wanted more money. I know a father who began working every Sunday and stopped taking his family to church because he wanted to make more money. These cases all ended in shipwreck. They wandered away from the Lord, from the church, and eventually from the faith, because they began chasing the wrong rabbit. So, I will ask you one more time...What rabbit are you chasing today? Make sure that you are dedicating your life to pursuing something that is worth having and that will last through time.