Not only does Titus 2 command all of us to pursue this quality of sober-mindedness, it commands us to help others develop it as well. This feature of the text makes it very unique in all of Scripture, for it clearly puts forth that to be sober-minded about Christian conduct is to be discipleship minded; to invest time and energy into others’ lives to help them become more faithful disciples of Christ.
In doing so, this text uses categories for people based on age or season of life. Now, perhaps like me, you’ve met older people who have more ministry energy and stamina than people half their age and thus they are a tremendous asset to the body of Christ. On the other hand, maybe you’ve also met older people who live their lives as though they’ve earned a perpetual break from active serving and thus render themselves virtually useless to the church. They are neither models of the things we will learn about nor do they take the time to pass them down to others.
It’s also likely that we’ve all met younger folks with lots of passion, but very little sensible thinking in the practical matters of life. Instead of seeking out more mature people to receive instruction and wisdom, they exclusively hang out with peers and compound their immaturities. However, there are other younger people who get involved in the discipleship of the church and thus grow like weeds and prove themselves highly beneficial to the life of the church.
Helping others in the body become more mature in Christ is a crucial topic in our day, in any season of the church’s history and especially in the context of the book of Titus. It is necessary if one is to think in a sober-minded way about discipleship.