Titus was chosen by the apostle Paul to live in a difficult area named Crete in the first century. The inhabitants of this island were notorious across the Mediterranean region for being dishonest traders and slack workers. They had a long history of abhorrent behavior and the moral fiber of an alley cat.
In the sixth century before Christ, the Cretan poet Epimenides declared, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons" (Titus 1:12). "To cretanize" in Greek literature was to "lie." It was challenging to live in Crete on a moral and spiritual level.
Paul did, however, start a church there and ordered Titus to set it up and choose its leaders. Titus had to be a rock in a difficult situation. He was to expose falsehood and proclaim truth via his teaching, and he was to set an example for what it means to live for Christ by the way he lived his life (2:7-8).
Has God asked you to represent Him in a place of employment where the name of Jesus is a derogatory term or in a community where no one has time for God? Then, by all means, you must be aware of God's truth and demonstrate it in your actions. Christians who live like rocks in a rough place are necessary in a society like ours.
