Today I want to share a passage that really spoke to me as I considered stepping out in faith to move into ministry. It was written by the Apostle Paul to his spiritual son Timothy. Since my name is Timothy…I felt like God was speaking directly to me one day as I read this:
1 Timothy 4:12-16
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
I felt like this was written for me as I was in my early 20’s and considering Bible College for ministry. This is my ministry passage that I fall back on when I am desperate for God to do something. Here are my takeaways.
I am to live my life as an example for believers in speech, life, love, faith and purity. Those words still ring in my ears today. I believe what the church is missing most today is leaders who will model the type of life that Christ wants from all of us. We need leaders who aren’t afraid to do what Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”
But my favorite part of this passage is what it says to me in the end. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Make sure Jesus is the forefront of everything you do. And persevere in them and so doing will save myself and those who hear! I can’t tell you how many times I kept saying to God…”When is this going to happen?” But thank God that I have continued to persevere, because I feel that I am beginning to see the fruit of it now!
So if you feel called to impact people for Christ and haven’t yet seen it. Continue to set your life as an example for other to follow and persevere! Continue to grow yourself and preach the true Gospel and know that God will use you to impact people’s lives in an eternal way!
This is still my ministry promise and I’ll still proclaim it even when I’m 50 years young!