READ:
2 Timothy 2
Paul uses many images in this chapter to emphasize what he is passing on to Timothy. Sometimes Scripture uses these “word pictures” and real-life examples – i.e. farmer, athlete, soldier – to engage our hearts. In not so many words, Paul is saying “fight, be a good worker, pursue righteousness!”
Oh how easy it is to let ourselves slip into the thinking that we are fine with where we are at in our walk with the Lord! We have so many justifications for ourselves, one of the greatest of which is comparison. “I am good because…I am not where I was before…I am not doing what that guy is doing…my circumstances are just too hard, much harder than most.” The danger about a mindset like this is that it blinds us from our own junk in our lives. When our eyes go outward, looking and comparing to those around us, we miss the Holy Spirit’s conviction for personal righteousness. This is a deadly trap! At the same time, without walking closely with God, we can fall off the other side of the narrow road and assume that everything in our life is less than. We need God’s affirmation too!
2 Timothy 2:20-21 says:" In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." Those who cleanse themselves will be the Lord’s chosen people, pure and holy. We don’t have time to waste looking around, comparing, judging others and making excuses. We should be really busy working on ourselves, with God’s gracious help of course! In time, and by the direction of God, we will be transformed. Then the Master will use increase our good works. What a privilege!
While it’s true that we sometimes face incredibly difficult situations, God often wants to grow us in them. Just like we see in this chapter, where Paul is pursuing Timothy to keep walking forward no matter what, God is doing likewise with us.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1.
Read through the chapter
again and make a note of every passage that uses imagery. For example, in verse
3 it speaks about being a good solider.
2.
For each of these images,
ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can move forward in your walk with the
Lord by thinking of yourself in relation to the image. Be specific. Try not to
use ideas like “I need to stop arguing.” While this is good, it is too broad to
implement. Break it down into doable pieces.
3.
Spend some time in
thanksgiving for what God is going to do. Be excited that He is pursuing us to
move forward! Praise Him for His desire to do great things in us.
