Explaining some things...

Why the title? you might ask... Do we remember who the heck Titus is? This dude in the New Testament that Paul just drops off on a rather large island, tells him to pick leaders for new churches, writes him one letter... and that's all. Kinda strange. Titus has this incredibly important job that he's selected for. This guy has a lot riding on his decisions and just him in general. Yet, it seems there was so little communication between him and Paul. I mean, Paul's writing letters left and right to Timothy and the church at Ephesus. Talking about visiting him as much as possible. Sure, Timothy was probably closer to Paul's heart than Titus, but my point still stands...
This is all to say what a huge difference there can be in who we are as believers.

You see, Titus was Greek. He would have been labeled a "pagan." He may not have been circumsised! Gasp! Nonetheless, he was saved IN sin. Timothy, on the other hand, was raised by a godly mother and grandmother. He was a good little Jewish boy.
This isn't a slam on Timothy, but I think Titus had a better appreciation for this salvation. He had been saved IN sin. Timothy had been saved FROM sin. It's a lot to think about. And its not to say that those who have "sinned" more than others can always appreciate their salvation more. This is all just say that we come from different places. I'm sure Paul didn't expect the same thing from Timothy as he did from Titus. They were two different guys. From two different places... different families, backgrounds, beliefs, values, talents, and concerns. It didn't make them any less of a leader, or a follower of Jesus, or a man. It was just who they were.

I think we fail to recognize this sometimes. We aren't all the same. We in the church come from different places and backgrounds and we were all rescued by the same Jesus at different places in life. And that's okay. I am not anywhere near the same as my best friends. One's a drummer pursuing a degree in cinema/television. The other's an I.T. guy for Fruit of the Loom who plays way too many video games. One's way too infatuated with football, plays some mean guitar, and sells industrial air compressors for a living. We agree on a lot. We disagree on a lot. But it doesn't tear us apart. We're friends.

In the church, especially here in America, we focus on differences so often. We put so much emphasis on the wrong things. What about what ties us together? What about what unifies us? What about what makes us one?
I want to be remembering Titus. A man all too often forgotten. I want to be remembering that where I come from doesn't designate where I'm going. I want to be remembering that I may not be exactly what everyone expects, but in the kingdom of God, who cares? I want to be remembering that we have a purpose...