Teatime with Timothy - "Chari-tea"

"Chari-tea"

About twelve years ago I was asked to give a devotional at our Ladies' Fall Tea.  I love teapots and teacups and saucers and so I thought of how I could incorporate some of my collection into the presentation.  

At the time I was reading through I and II Timothy and some words started "popping" out at me - words ending with the suffix - "ty" or translated for my purposes as "tea".  These words were helpful to Christians, especially myself.  I thought this made sense for the ladies of our church.  I did a word study on each and attached these words to tea bags.  During the devotional I pulled them out of the teapot one at a time and gave a short lesson on each.  Since then, I've been able to use the lessons for elementary ladies and high school ladies.
This "tea bag" devotional will be about "Chari-tea".

I Timothy 1

¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; ²Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. ³As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, ⁴Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

⁵Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: ⁶From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; ⁷Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. ⁸But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; ⁹Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; ¹¹According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Paul started at the end - "charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."  He went on to explain how people get off track from the goal.   Chari-tea is the ingredient that is missing from those that follow "vain jangling" and those who don't understand what they're teaching about.

Charity -  ἀγάπη - agapē (ag-ah'-pay); love, that is, affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast:—(feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.

As Christian ladies we can sometimes take on the personality of a cat.  Yes, those spoiled little animals that people are often allergic to.  I do love cats, but I know that they have issues.  As long as you give them their way, keep them comfortable, and give them their space they are adorable.  But, try to do something they aren't ready or willing to do and watch out! The claws come out!!
We are so reactive.  When things are going our way we are all "sisters in the Lord."  When someone crosses us, it all changes.  We eliminate them from our email list, our contacts on our cell phones, and we cross them off the Christmas card list.  Ladies, we need to make a conscious effort to make "chari-tea" part of our every day lives and try being Christians.  Charity is affection, benevolence, and love - regardless of the way other people treat us.  Charity is also called a "love feast" - it sustains you, it gives you energy to do the other tasks in your daily schedule.
Charity is more than an emotional feeling of love, it is benevolence.  Maybe you're not the giving or doing type - obey the Lord.  Do the actions, the love will come.  Charity leads to action, so then it is a cycle of giving and loving.  Jesus is our ultimate example in word and deed.  He loved us first and did all for us, and loves us more.  This little story illustrates what love does.

"John 3:16"

In the city of Chicago, one cold-dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight, would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there,

of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

 The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in." So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. He sat there for a while, and thought to himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm." Later she came back and asked him, "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat anymore. Then he thought to himself, "John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full." She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John 3:16...  

I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that old fire hydrant as they flushed it out." The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested." 

The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at him and she asked, "Do you understand John 3:16," and she began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe." You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living.