For those in ministry, for all believers, for the discouraged, here is what you can do when you perhaps don’t know what to do.

Paul has been encouraging Timothy because apparently some people had been looking at him with disdain and disapproval. For Timothy it was because he was young. We know the feeling of age-related disapproval, whether being too young or being too old. We all know the voices that remind us we just don’t cut the grade. We are just not good enough for them. We could have done more. What do we do at times like that other than become discouraged and want to resign from ministry and from church? Paul is going to tell Timothy what he wants him to do. He must ‘be diligent’ on certain matters. He must give careful attention and be thoroughly committed to a few things. This will help Timothy and it still helps us.

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4 v 13-16)

“Until I come” has a lovely sound doesn’t it? Paul was going to visit Timothy and obviously that was the intent behind the words. But it has Messianic futuristic tones with those 3 words. Until Jesus comes do these things.

Read the Bible and encourage others to hear it also. It was at a time of personal copies of Scripture were rare and the majority were illiterate, so the public reading of Scripture was very important.

For us today it would be the same in essence, read the Bible and encourage others to do so.

Preach and Teach. Don’t worry about getting people on your side or entertaining them or getting the accolade and applause. Proclaim the message and carefully explain how to apply the message. Whether you do that in the pulpit or in the many pathways of life, it is the same request. Let the sound that comes from your mouth be the Word of God.

Remember the day of the Lord for you. Whether that be your ordination, commissioning or a moment when you knew the hand of the Lord was upon you and He called you, remember it, bring to mind the former things. Maybe for you like Timothy there was the prophetic word spoken over you, or there was the laying on of hands as someone prayed for you, or a community witnessed what God was doing in your life. Recall that moment. Don’t let intimidation, comparison with others, laziness or tiredness, the loud voices that wage war against your soul rob you. Remember.

Watch your character. Let your character match your gifting. Your character will carry your gifting. Your character will enable your gifting to last. Character always benefits spiritual well-being. Everything comes back to your character so watch it.

Maybe you would describe this season as discouraging and you are having to fight every day your feelings. Take these 4 things said to Timothy and apply them and see the difference it makes.