“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”- 2 Timothy 4:2–5
It is tempting to look around at a society that is increasingly anti-Christian and think that we are going through something unprecedented. But as Paul’s final letter to Timothy makes clear, the problem of people rejecting the truth is not new. It may take different forms from one generation to the next, but the allure of listening to comfortable lies rather than painful truth is hard to resist. Indeed we need to be on guard in our own lives to reject false teaching that simply tells us what we want to hear.
Our mission is not to, by argument or logic, correct all those who believe what is wrong. Instead, we are simply to stick to proclaiming the truth and trust God to provide the harvest. “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Our responsibility is to be faithful to present the truth. There are times when there are great results and times when there are none. That does not reflect on us if we are remaining faithful in either circumstance.
The temptation is to judge ourselves by whether we are seeing great harvests. But while we should do everything we can to reach others, as President John Quincy Adams liked to say, “Duties are ours, results are God’s.” The seasons may come and go and the harvest will change with them, but He always honors those who remain faithful in His service. God is looking for those who are willing to remain faithful to the truth in every season of life. (Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
