2 Timothy 4:2
"Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching".
Whilst writing his letter to Timothy Paul is facing his own death - a very scary thought indeed. His final and rather passionate instruction to tell others about God had such significance then and still does today.
Paul was concerned for the churches he'd planted and was urging Timothy, his 'pupil', to stay focussed on spreading the gospel. Paul strikes me as a man of great integrity and diligence. He knew his mission and even during his final days, his love for the church and God was the driving force behind his words to Timothy.
Notice that even in the twilight of his life, Paul is encouraging - "Whether the time is favourable or not". This is something we can certainly echo within our world, remembering that to tell others the good news about Jesus is for every moment, not just in the good times.
The verse talks about "being ready". In all honesty and humanly speaking, perfect timing is sometimes hard to achieve. So how can we be ready and prepared? Pray. We need to ask God to partner with us as well as equip us with everything we need to be ready and prepared.
Pray with me that as we prepare to launch, God will make us ready, give us opportunities to tell others and equip us with what we need to be the encouraging good-news-tellers He has called us to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment