For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Are we, in fact, “eager to do what is good”?

By one way of thinking, maybe we’re too eager to do what is good, taking appropriate desires to a destructive extreme.

We want what is best for ourselves and those close to us, but turn that into hatred and fear directed at anyone outside our circle.

We want the comfort of intimacy, but turn that into an obsession with sexual gratification.

We want to enjoy time around other people, but turn that into drunkennes and carousing.

We want to make a difference, but turn that into a lust for power.

You get the picture…many of the bad things in society are perversions of good things.

And there are some good things that many people don’t seem to desire at all: communion with our creator, harmony with the world God created, appreciation for all of humanity with its near-infinite variations.

Titus says here that we wait in blessed hope for the appearing of the glory of God. In other words, for the day of the Lord.

That day began dawning more than 2,000 years ago on the Christmas night we’re about to celebrate. Be eager to do what is good, and be satisfied when you find that goodness.