The Ugly
2 Timothy 4:1b-2 I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.
People behaving badly in this world is simply a fact of life. We can try and do the right thing; we can try to talk about it to them, gently, quietly, privately, to restore them to good behaviour. But letās be honest. It doesnāt always work.
It should. We wish it did. But it doesnāt always work. So, then, what do you ordinarily do in that situation? Letās say you tried once or twice, to help someone deal with their bad behaviour, but they havenāt responded well.
What comes next? Well, mostly, we just give up.
“Well, you know, I tried, but heās a hopeless case. Heās never going to change!”Ā Sound familiar? Sure it does. We just write them off and move on, leaving the bad behaviour to fester and harm not just them, but the people around them.
Iām not so sure thatās the best approach ā what do you think? Have a listen to the Apostle Paulās advice to his young ministry protĆ©gĆ©, Timothy:
I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.Ā (2 Timothy 4:1b-2)
In a nutshell, the older, more experienced Paul, is saying to young Tim here, ādonāt give upā. Keep telling people about Jesus ā the good news, the fantastic news about Jesus ā whether the conditions are favourable or unfavourable.
Does that mean shoving religion down someoneās throat? I donāt think so. But what it does mean is not giving up.
I have a very good friend who knows that some of the things that heās doing are wrong. The lifestyle that heās chosen for himself is just wrong, plain and simple. Now I care for him deeply and so, on the odd occasion, Iāve shared with him the good news of Jesus ā and by the way deep in his heart he believes. But his lifestyle is pulling him away from the Lord. He canāt have his cake and eat it too, as the saying goes.
As much as I care for him though, the one thing that I will not do, the one thing that I will never do, is endorse his bad choices; tell him that itās all okay. Because whether the time is favourable or not, my heart is to convince, rebuke and encourage him with as much patience as I can muster.
And of course, to pray for him. Because there is such incredible power in prayer:
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.(James 5:16b)
People are going to behave badly, but donāt give up on them. Perhaps God has put you there in their lives for a time such as this, to be the one through whom His love, His grace and His mercy flow into their lives. Donāt give up.
Thatās Godās Word. Fresh ā¦ for you ā¦ today.
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