Be Ready
2
Timothy 4:1-5
1I
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by His coming and His kingdom: 2herald
and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency, stand by, be at hand and
ready, whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. Whether it
is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you, as
preacher of the Word, are to show people in what way their lives are wrong. You
are to convince them, rebuking, correcting, warning, urging, and encouraging
them, being unflagging, inexhaustible in patience, and teaching. 3For
the time is coming when people will not tolerate sound and wholesome instruction,
but, having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, they will
gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen
to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, 4and
will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and
man-made fictions. 5As for you, be calm, cool, and steady, accept
and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully
perform all the duties of your ministry. [AMP]
Paul was at the end of his
earthly ministry when this He wrote this. He wrote to Timothy to encourage him.
Paul told him to be steadfast in the faith. More than that, he exhorted him
always to be ready to minister in the name of Christ, whether by acts of
service and mercy, or the harder side, by rebuking, correcting, and warning
others.
Be always ready to
preach Christ and Him crucified is what Paul taught Timothy and what
he teaches us. Do not think today is your day off. Today may be the time when
Jesus puts a person in your path who needs ministering services. If you
mentally unplug from the ministry, you choose not to be an instrument of His
service on the day that person most needed the kind touch, encouraging word, or
the teaching of Christ. Be prepared in everyday; “keep your sense of urgency.”
Always walk with God in
mind so you do not walk right by God's purpose for your day. When the time
comes, be it a good time or not, lookout for the person whom God brings into
your path. Be the shining light for God to this loved child. You never know
when he or she may become closed to the love of God and the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Do not delay in telling them about God’s love for them because it
is your “day off.” “Speak in season and out of season.” (1 Tim. 4:2 [KJV])
