Like a chronic illness, a persistent falsehood often lingers in the minds of believers and unbelievers alike: God is a cosmic killjoy, and the Bible is His ruler to whack anyone having a good time. It’s a lie, of course. God is the giver of abundant life (John 10:10), and His Word enables us to live fulfilling lives. It’s true that the Bible is filled with thou shalts and thou shalt nots, which serve as a sort of preventative checkup. But it’s also a book of “hints” rather than commands, kind of like when our mothers tell us when us when we have a cold to get plenty of rest and to eat your chicken noodle soup. Our doctors and mothers are necessary, but life is happier with chicken noodle soup…and in heeding Paul’s hints found in the last five verses of 1 Timothy 5.

1 Timothy 5:21-25

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