Paul tells the young leader to Preach the word of God, whether the time is favourable or not, a phrase that makes me wonder what constitutes "favourable". Is it about the general climate of society or is it about the local church's readiness to hear what needs to be said? Given that this sits in the context of the rejection of sound teaching in favour of that which soothes itching ears, it would seem that the context is clearly the church.
Whatever the context, Paul says that Timothy is to teach with patience, encouragement and faithfulness (i.e. not in a way that soothes those ears).
In order to fulfil this call, Timothy will need to be: clear minded, not anxious about suffering as a result of his commitment to preach the truth, and evangelistically active. He is to carry out fully the ministry God has given him.
This is quite a charge. As I read that yesterday I wondered aloud what made me worthy of such a call. I've long since stopped wondering why God called me, and I've just accepted that he has. On the other hand, this is still a serious call and needs to be taken seriously.
So as I read those words I wondered about how encouraging the ministry , my ministry, is within the context of the local church I serve. I wondered how committed I am personally to doing the work of evangelism. And I wondered too how clear my own mind is in all situations.
As ever, there is work to be done!
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