For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
2 Timothy 4:3-4
The truth about every person on this earth is that they don’t typically like to hear words that expose or shine light on the errors of their ways… Nobody likes to be singled or called out; however, in Christ we are called to approach one anther regarding faults and failures (the key being in love) as this promotes growth and maturation… We all have made mistakes and acknowledging the mistake and learning from the experience is how we keep from repeating the same mistake and hindering our development in Christ… Paul reminds this principle to Timothy in a second look at these key verses from his letter in today’s devotional… I don’t know about you, but I can speak from personal experience and tell you that is it painful for someone to speak words deemed (constructive criticism) when you are doing something that need to be changed or is just plain wrong… This is not only vital to our growth as Christians, but how we handle the truth will lead us in the right or wrong direction… This is what Paul is instructing Timothy about in this passage… People want to come to church and hear about all the good things and the blessings that God has in store for them, they want to hear about how He has all power and that in your walk with Him you will prosper; however, they don’t want to hear the fact that you must take up your cross, they don’t want to review the words of James and “look into the mirror…” The word of God is simply that, the word of God and you cannot deem what parts of pieces that you want to accept and what parts or pieces that you want to reject… As we grow in Christ and learn to speak the truth in love, we are reminded and instructed today to understand that not everyone wants to hear the pure and true word of God…
Not everyone wants to find their flaws, not everyone once to go through the purging process and have their lives transformed… Paul teaches Timothy and us today of the times that we will indeed face and are facing… One of the biggest problems we find in the church today is a misguided message and a misguided church body… Paul charges Timothy today and us not to cave in to the pressures of the world… The bible teaches us that the word is sharper than a double-edge sword… When Josiah became king over Israel the word tells us that the book of the law was found in the temple… As the prophets read the book of the law to Josiah he tore his clothes in disgust… This passage teaches us that the word will and is here to convict and reform us… When we begin to please the ears of men, we devalue the word of God and the focus and direction that it brings… Paul charges Timothy today to remain steadfast in God’s word and not to allow the missteps of his peers to deter him or thwart God’s will and plan for his life… Paul was nearing the end of his life and passing the mantle to Timothy! Today we have seen many great leaders go on to see what the end would be and the mantle has been passed to us… Paul is saying to us today that there will be times when people will reject Christ and you because of your faith and your true words…The truth of their rejection is not a deterrent to you, but it shows that your words have hit them in a soar spot that can only be healed through the divine power of God… There will be times when people will skew or slant the word of God to fulfill the desires of the flesh… We can surely look at the times we are in today (prosperity gospel, scientology etc…) and see that this is the time that we must stand! One of the biggest and best witnesses we have is the life that we lead…
Paul charges Timothy today as a leader to stay the course… We have a charge as Christians to stay the course… Don’t become weary when we see people go astray; don’t become disappointed when people reject the word of God… Jesus told the 72 to shake the dust off their feet when someone did not want to receive the word of the Lord… Understand that people are out in this world searching for happiness, they are searching for pleasure and they are searching for fulfillment…Whether the word of God is accepted or not, it’s our job to plant the word of God in all people we encounter and allow God to provide the increase… In the book of James we gain a better understanding of the power that lies within the tongue… Your words are powerful, your witness is undeniable and the Grace of God will protect and keep you! Peter denied knowing Christ three times in the courtyard and left weeping; however in the book of Acts he is seen standing tall denying the notions that the people surrounding him were drunk… As a result of his witness 3,000 souls were saved… They weren’t saved because Peter pleased their itching ear, but because he spoke the word of God…Likewise, Paul is reinforcing Timothy today, he is saying stand tall in the midst of this crooked world, hold on in the midst of darkness and ignite the spark of God that lies within… Paul was telling Timothy that your time is now! This world may reject you, but they need to hear your voice; they need to hear your message and the power that Christ has placed within you! Today is your day, today this world needs to see your witness, and they need to feel your presents and God’s power! Display your faith and God’s faithfulness… Trust in the Lord, don’t be overcome by the world, but overcome the world by good (which is the word of God)!
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