“…Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; … But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.“
This chapter challenges me every time I read it.
I am pretty good “in season”… I can speak truth at weddings, graduations,
funerals … no problem. But I am not as good at a restaurant or a business
meeting. Probably because I understand
what Paul says in verse 3, “… the time
will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine”… Make no
mistake, that time has come.
Most people today don’t want to hear the truth. So, occasionally I hesitate
to speak it to those not expecting it, aware that their response may be less
positive than those at a Bible study. But Paul says to Preach… doesn’t matter
who’s expecting it or not. Like a good coach, he says “get your head in the
game and … endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill
your ministry.” Apparently,
winning popularity contests is not part of my job description. I cannot conduct
myself in a way that avoids hardship because ministry is hard.
Being an ambassador in a country that wants nothing to do
with you involves suffering. Evangelism isn’t for sissies. But it is for rescued souls like me, who have
been redeemed, reborn, and repurposed to become disciple makers.
This passage says to expect some hardship. You put on football equipment before a game, expecting
to be hit – You better put on the full armor of God for the same reason. Because unless you’re on the sideline, you are
going to take some shots… Like a
linebacker on the goal line, I should know an attack is coming. It’s my job to not only take the hit, but step
into it and stand my ground. My response
to the collision is the game changer.
Paul has delivered a pretty clear pregame speech this
morning, and it is directed at me… He’s saying “Buckle up, Cupcake … You win
the race, but you better be prepared for some bumps along the way”.
"It's your reaction to adversity, not
adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop." –
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
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