Holston Daily Devotional February 19, 2021

Focus Scripture

2 Timothy 4:1-5

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

Devotion

Teaching is one of God’s spiritual gifts. One of the teachers who affected me most was my sixth grade Math Teacher, Ms. Day. When I went into sixth grade, I struggled in math – fractions in particular. However, through Ms. Day’s knowledge, patience, and kindness, I began to excel in math. In fact, when I left middle school a few years later, the school awarded me the title of “Most Improved Student,” a title that I owed largely to her and to the rest of my teachers who had the patience to bear with me even when I struggled in their subjects.

What made my teachers so effective in my life? Was it that I loved their subject matter? No, not really. Was it that they never rebuked me for something that I did wrong? Not in the least. However, I realize now that these effective teachers contained many of the same traits regardless of their subject matter or grade level.

First, they knew their subject matter – inside and out. They were examples to me of what those who excelled in their subjects could hope to become. Secondly, my teachers set consistently high expectations for me. I have come to find that my greatest teachers have not been those who challenged me least, but those who challenged me most. Finally, my effective teachers knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that no true learning would take place without a solid relationship of integrity with me. This meant that my teachers were there for me through the good times and the bad, when the material became difficult, and especially when the tests got harder. These effective teachers walked with me in the valleys and on the mountaintops. They encouraged me when I was on the right track…and they corrected me when I was on the wrong track. For these things, I will be forever grateful.

In 2 Timothy, Paul is encouraging Timothy to be a good teacher, to not only know the subject matter of God’s Word inside and out, but to proclaim it persistently and fully. Furthermore, Paul encourages Timothy to set high standards for those in his care by teaching them sound doctrine – even when it hurts, even when they do not want to hear it, and even when the sound doctrine and truth cut them to the core. For doing this, Paul knows Timothy will be persecuted, so he encourages Timothy to “be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and carry out [his] ministry fully.”

Because we believe in the priesthood of all believers, we, too, are called to be as Timothy and to use our gifts and lives to proclaim the truth of God’s message of salvation as it is found in both the Old Testament and the New. Just as Paul exhorted young Timothy, we, too, must resist the temptation to water down that message and to make it something that suits what people want to hear. May we remember that the message of Christ can never be separated from the teachers, messengers, and examples that we are called to be. If there be any inconsistency between our lives and the message of God, those that we are teaching will know it…and they will turn from both us and God’s message. Furthermore, may we recall that effective teachers teach with continually high expectations. They do not water down their subject matters. They may break it down into its component parts to make a subject easier to teach, but they never water it down. Finally, may we remember that the most effective teachers recognize the value of relationships. These teachers are willing to walk with their students through the good and the bad, to rebuke their students when they are on the wrong track, and to encourage those same students when they are on the right track. May we become effective teachers of the message of God. Thanks be to God.

Prayer

Father Almighty, we thank You for this opportunity to consider what it means to be an effective teacher. We thank You that You set the precedent of what good teachers look like in that You were willing to give all in order to have a relationship with us through the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ and through Your precious Holy Spirit here on earth.

May we become effective teachers of those you have placed in our path. May we proclaim Your message fully and boldly. May we be consistent in Your message whether we are in good times or bad. May we lovingly and patiently teach, convince, rebuke, and encourage each other as well as those within our care. And may we, like Timothy, be sober, endure suffering, and do the work of evangelists so that we can carry out Your ministry fully. In Jesus’ name we pray in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.