This Day in History: 0000-04-11

April 11 – 2 Timothy 2:15-19 

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the Word of Truth.  Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer… But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” 

If someone asked you today, “What is your life’s work?” How would you answer?  Precious friends, I want to offer a gentle admonition to all of us:  If our answer to that question does not include, in some way, spreading the Word of God, then we’re not doing what we have been called to do. We’re not living our purpose.  And that would be a tragedy!  I feel confident that we all desire to present ourselves to God and receive His approval, so let’s pay attention because this verse tells us exactly how to do that.  

It says we need to work hard at correctly explaining the Word of Truth. The way this verse states it causes me to imagine a laborer of some sort who was given a task and then left by the Foreman, expected to accomplish it.  Later, the Foreman would show up unexpectedly and be pleased to find that not only had the laborer been working on the task, but he had been working with such diligence and such skill and such attention to detail that he exceeded all expectations for both quality and quantity of work.  That laborer could then hold his head high before the Foreman, with a completely clear conscience, knowing he had done his very best.

Our work for God, intent on explaining the Bible to others, should look just like that.  We should be able to stand before Him at any time with a completely clear conscience knowing we have dedicated ourselves whole-heartedly to the task.  

Of course, that means we won’t be wasting our time in worthless, foolish talk.  Ouch, am I right?

How much time have we spent engaging in gossip, or discussing worthless worldly matters?  Does that kind of talk ever spur us on to godly behavior, or does it shift our hearts towards things of the world?  I think these verses describe it perfectly – it is like a cancer – spreading it’s destruction throughout the body of Christ. Let’s have nothing to do with it! 

When we know who we are; when we are focused on our purpose, we will spend our time, instead, on building for ourselves a solid foundation in the Word of God.  Let’s study it.  Let’s make it a daily task at which we work hard.  Let’s pray to God and ask Him to give us wisdom to rightly divide the Word of Truth.  Let’s ask Him for understanding.  As our diligent study begins to permeate every fiber of our being, let’s ask God for opportunities to spread that Word to others, and let’s be quick to take those opportunities.  Let’s be the kind of people who ooze faith, hope, and love wherever we go.  Let’s live our purpose so that there is no mistaking who we are to anyone who knows us.  We are His dearly loved daughters and sons, and we love to tell people about our Daddy!