Validation On God’s Team

Today’s Bible Reading:  2 Kings 8-9; 2 Chronicles 21; 1 Timothy 4

Journal Entry on a passage from today’s reading:

Topic: Service

SCRIPTURE:  1 Tim. 4:13-16

¹³ …devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Tim 4:13-16 NIV)

OBSERVATION:

Paul admonishes young Timothy to be mindful of the gift within him—a gift confirmed earlier by a word of prophecy over him as elder church leaders laid hands on him and prayed over him. According to Ephesians 4, Jesus gives gifts of office to certain individuals to serve in leadership roles in His Church:    

¹¹ And He (Christ Jesus) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ… (Eph 4:11-12 NKJV)

Paul’s repeated references to studying and heeding doctrine (vv. 13 & 16), clearly indicate Timothy’s call to the office of pastor, teacher. Timothy had accepted the gift of the Lord to serve in this office and it was confirmed by a word of prophecy as the elders laid on hands and prayed over him. Now Paul is urging Timothy not only to not neglect his gift, but to give himself entirely to this calling; so that “everyone may see” his progress in his God-given profession—that it will be evident to all (v. 15). 

APPLICATION:

This passage strikes me in a highly personal way, since I too am one whom the Lord has called to ministry. I too have had words of prophecy spoken to me by church leaders who have laid their hands on me and prayed over me. Timothy was young and perhaps a bit unsure of himself. Perhaps he felt that people didn’t recognize or accept him for the gift bestowed upon him. Thus, verse 15 is both an admonishment and an encouragement.  Unlike Timothy, I am not young at this juncture of my ministry. Yet I’ll have to admit that since moving to Portland and out of full time pastoral ministry, I have identified with feeling unrecognized and unaccepted. While Portland has been a place for me to meditate and give myself to further study (I have completed my BA and my MS degrees), I have often felt sidelined from direct active ministry. I often have felt like an old third string quarterback who never gets any playing time; few people even know I’m on the team.  Therefore, as I continue to press on toward the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus in my life (Ph 3:14), I have to trust that He will cause my progress to become “evident to all.” 

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for the encouragement of Your Word.  I humbly ask for Your guidance, provision and favor as, even in retirement, I pursue future service as a member of Your team. 

Through Christ. Amen.  -AP