SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 8-9; 2 Chronicles 21; 1 Timothy 4
1 Timothy 4:12-14
Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
OBSERVATIONS: Timothy is charged to teach.
- By ministry of the word: The preaching of the Gospel
- By demeanor: outward bearing and behavior
- By love: agape, or the love of neighbor that outranks the love of self and calls for self-sacrifice
- By faith: trusting in God to the extent that big ideas and hard goals are chosen and pursued
- By integrity: doing what you say you will do, and holding fast to your promises
He is also given tasks of reading Scripture, offering counsel, and teaching. Though this sounds redundant, the second mention of teaching focuses more on the teaching in the context of his study of Scripture.
Finally, his special gift of ministry given at his ordination (the laying on of hands and prayer) was authority. The authority to do all these things Paul has exhorted, and to lead the people around him in the life of Christ.
APPLICATION: Joey, there is no clearer reminder of the task of leadership. The Old Testament context of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles should clearly point to the failures of leaders and the reasons we often miss opportunities of leadership. Seek the charges of Paul, and follow in the path of Timothy: Teaching, counseling, and exemplifying the life of Christ.
PRAYER: Christ, have your way in me. Let my will be once again subsumed in yours, and may my actions, words, and ideas reflect your will for the world around me: Love, peace, and an end to human suffering.
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