“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in so doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:16, NKJV
People are watching us every day. Sometimes, in good ways or not so good, our greatest impact on the people in our path may get missed in the “tyranny of the urgent.” Most of us will never stand on a stage before hundreds of people, or run for political office, however, all of us touch the lives of others in the simple going and coming of each day. A kind word to someone in the grocery line, or a smile of acknowledging a stranger on an elevator are only small examples of ways you and I might make a difference in our world—no money spent and with little effort.
The apostle Paul draws down deep into his life experiences to impart the wisdom he has gained to his young student, Timothy. Before encountering Jesus, Paul, known then as Saul was a renowned zealot who hated Christians. He persecuted and killed many who professed to be followers of Jesus Christ. Not until he met Jesus in person on the road to Damascus did Paul’s life turn upside down, or should I say, right side up, that his eyes were opened spiritually to the truth of God. Without his encounter with Jesus, Paul, or Saul would be little remembered or not remembered at all; instead, through his many writings in the New Testament of the Bible, Paul’s influence and impact on the world continues to stretch across the centuries.
As a Christian, I find “everyday living” to be a challenge, when in my humanity failures overshadow the “good” I want to do. Perhaps you can relate? God did not choose Paul as His ambassador because of Paul’s good character; God chose Paul because of his imperfections and how meeting Jesus can change even the worst of us into a useful vessel.
The human condition may be frail but with Jesus working in us and through us, we have been infused with the strength and courage to “continue” (some translations say “persevere”) in the work to win others to Christ. If we do not give up, one day we will hear these words, “Well done good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21).
