Paul wrote to Timothy to give him instruction and encouragement. This morning as I read the passage in 2 Timothy, I am reminded that we cannot always rely on others to do the work for us. Yes, delegating and leading others to their path are important, but the work that God has for us is something for us and we are to do that work for Him. And it is not right for us to boast about the work done or place ourselves above others for doing the work of God, for it is the work we are tasked with and completing is the job. But, we also have to be mindful that we are to present ourselves to God as one that has done the work and done it for His glory.

“¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

The passage where this verse is in my ESV bible is titled, “A Worker Approved by God”. Notice the passage first part, and how Paul is explaining to Timothy to “do your best” as “one approved”. How is it that we are approved, we have done the work for God and His glory. Whether or not we are fully successful as we see it is not what we are working to achieve. We are doing things for God and His glory and have to remember that His plan is more complex that we can ever imagine. Our completion of the work and even failure in the completion may be exactly the plan all along. We are to do the work and allow God to do His work. We are to act in God’s interest and not our own.

When we have worked to do the work of God so as to not be ashamed of the work, then we can present ourselves as approved to God. It is now okay to say to God, “I did your work, and I know that your will be done.” This is the acknowledgment of His glory and that all we are working to accomplish is for Him.

When you are out there doing work, who are you working for? Are you looking out for yourself and boasting about all of that work? What if you were to simply do the work of God and regardless of the outcome know that you can present yourself to Him as approved and not ashamed?

“²¹And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,…²⁸Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” – Colossians 1:21-22 & 28 (ESV)

I am so happy for the above verses. Paul explains to the Colossians, and to me, that my way has been paid by Christ and that the church body is here to assist in my growth and maturation to be presented to God as whole. I have help and that is comforting.

Often I feel as though I am all alone working for Christ when in reality, I am never alone as He is with me and has already paid the price for me to be free in doing His work. He died so that I do not have to. He cleaned me up even when I was so soiled only Satan would take me. I am grateful for the work done by Christ on my behalf so that I would be presented to God as His child and not some foreign entity.

And the church, the body of Christ, is there for me to lean on physically here in this world. The church is where I learn the glory of Him and am taught the love of God that I may grow stronger in Him to fend off the attacks of the world. It is the church that provides the physical Godly love I need to make it and grow in my maturity in Christ.

It is the work that has been done and that which is being one that prepares me to be presented to God. I am grateful for all of the work done and to be done to prepare the way for me and to prepare me to be presented. It is with the selfless actions of Christ and the church I am grateful. For Christ certainly could have gotten out of death on the cross and the church does not have to work for me. I am the recipient of love and glory from Christ and the church and for that I am and will be eternally grateful.

I will be presented to God as “holy and blameless and above reproach…mature in Christ” as noted by Paul in the verses above. But my presentment does not come without work done and still to be done by Christ, the church, and by me. Thank you Jesus and the church for loving me and wanting nothing but glory for me.

What beliefs do you have about the work of Christ and the church on your behalf? Are you aware of their work to make you ready for presentment to God? What if we embraced the work done by Christ, sought the work of the church and put in the work ourselves to be presented to God as “holy and blameless and above reproach…mature in Christ”?

“¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

This verse points to the preparation we should be taking each and every day. There is darkness and danger in the world every day. I could walk out to my car and something may fall from the sky and conk me on the head. Whereas that is possible to happen, it is not really likely. I have to be more concerned with the darkness and dangers that are present right now. Those that are eminent and that I can prepare to defend against.

Each day when I awake I am bombarded by darkness. The internet, social media, peer pressure, economic crisis, family difficulties, as well as a host of other things that are in my face starting early in the morning. There is certainly no shortage of darkness needing to wade through.

That is just it. Wading through. When one prepares to go fly fishing in a riverbed, the proper outer ware is worn so as to protect against the wet and cold of the water not to mention any critters that may be in the water. In order to wade through the difficulties of daily life, I have to remember to wear the proper protection. And that all starts as I do each morning in my bible study. I get into the word of God as opposed to allowing the world to get into me. I am preparing or the darkness and taking the proactive approach to defending against it. I am filling myself with the glory of God and putting on His armor of protection.

Preparing is not a one time thing. Preparation should be an ongoing thing. I should prepare for the day fighting in the darkness, then I should prepare for the individual battles I know are coming. And then I should prepare to be the husband and father in my home. And then I should prepare for sleep to recharge so that I can do it all over again the next day. The darkness in the world will be present always and it is up to me to prepare to defend against it and not just try to react to the attack and hope I am able to get through. With preparation, I will fight the fight and the result will be. Whether success or failure, I have prepared and fought with the Lord by my side and will know that the result is that of God’s design and victory will be had.

What preparations are you doing each day? Are you simply getting up and hoping that today will be better than yesterday? What if you were to prepare with the Lord and then continue your preparations throughout the day for the darkness that is there?

“²⁵Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” – Ephesians 5:25-28 (ESV)

As I read this morning I was convicted in the idea above. I look inward to see, have I been presenting Lori as Christ did the Church? I know that she is present in the church and with all that she does. I know that she is reaching others in the work she does in the school and with the dance team and pep squad she directs. I know that she is a loving mother and would/does anything for our boys. But, have I been presenting her as such?

That is a question that I am glad was thrust at me this morning. Whether I am or not, as I believe, feedback is a gift that should be embraced and pondered for its validity and usefulness. I have to take the presentation of this question and ponder it to determine its answer for me and me alone. I have to embrace it and dig for answers. I have to go to the source of the question to learn more of what it means to present her. I need to go to her to learn from her if indeed she feels presented. It is fully up to me to use the question to get more answers so that I can present Lori as Christ did the Church.

“³¹Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” – Ephesians 5:31 (ESV)

Lori is the other part of me. She and I together are one and it is my duty to be for her at all times. This is coming more evident each day as we move to the new chapter in our lives. I have to be her love and support. I have to be her promoter and presenter. I have to be with her not just in the vicinity of her. She and I are one.

When you think of your wife or wife of your husband is she, are you being presented? Are you lifting/lifted up? What if you presented her or you were presented as Christ loved the Church?

How we act when we are alone is significantly different that when others are present. And those actions are are even more pronounced when in the presence of those with whom we have a relationship. We have a nature that is predominant in us and is a lot of cases, that nature is harmless to us and those around us. But, there are times when our actions do not serve the good of all and are contradictory to that which we profess to believe.

“³For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. ⁴When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,” – 1 Corinthians 5:3-4 (ESV)

Here is the way I have to remember to proceed. I have to act knowing that God is present at all times. I have to know that He is with me and think, “would He approve and be proud of my actions”. This is how I will remain true to Him and the work He has tasked me with. I cannot approach things one way while in private and another when in the presence of God and my fellow Christians.

God is always present. While with other Christians, or in the comfort of my own home. He is always there watching me and taking note of my actions. While I have the freedom to do so, I have to remember that my actions are to glorify Him in any and all situations and environments. I have to remember that His presence with me should be guiding my actions and not leading me to hide from them.

When you are in the world, what actions are you trying to hide from God? Are you doing some thing when you are in His presence and other when not? What if you were to do all things knowing that God is always present?

Over the course of my life, I have had the good fortune to learn from some great people. There were Sunday School Teachers, Fellow Deacons, School Teachers, Professors, Business Leaders, as well as Friends and Family. Each of them were able to instruct me in different things and ways of carrying myself and going about the work I am doing. This was not just for me. I am obligated to take what I have learned and pay it forward to others.

“⁹He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” – Titus 1:9 (ESV)

In this verse and the passage it is found, Paul is giving encouraging instruction to Titus. Titus had been experiencing some difficulties and Paul was providing for that need. I see in the verse the instruction from Paul to Titus to seek assistance from those in his congregation that met certain criteria to serve elders and provide support where Titus was needing. This verse describes the character traits from a teacher’s perspective. These elders should be able to take the instruction they have received and pass that on to the others of the church so they too would gain from the knowledge and learning.

I have found myself in the place of having to figure things out in order to progress forward. The mistake I make is in trying to do it all myself and with just the information I have. In those instances, it seems as though I find the breakthrough once I draw on what I have learned or I reach out to others that may have experienced something similar and ask for their guidance.

Too often I believe that we forget what we have been instructed in the interest of forging our way. The reality is that most of what has gone on in the world and what will go on in the world has already been done once before. It is the use of what we were instructed that leads to new discoveries and learning.

What have you learned in the past that you have neglected to bring forward to the now? Are you out there trying to do it all? What if we simply use the instruction we have received to pay it forward to others so they too can learn and grow?

When I think about instruction I think immediately to those pages that come with that new item purchased that needs to be assembled before use. There is listed out the how to place the parts together to make it functional and useful in the manner it was intended. I believe the one area that I tend to overlook are the warnings of what not to do. There is this focus on the end result that I will overlook that which was shared to help me avoid the pitfalls that come in the use of this item.

“¹¹Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. ¹²Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11-12 (ESV)

In the verses above Paul is referring to the Israelites in the wilderness as they fled Egypt in route to the Promised Land. There were many instances of disobedience where the people were punished for their actions by God. All of these things they did where chronicled and told throughout the ages. They were written down as instructions of what not to do. They were the pages of the instruction that should be seen as the “Caution – Don’t Do This, it Leads to Destruction”. These were the warnings to those coming later, the what not to do that are overlooked in the focus on the results.

I have to remember all instructions that have been shared with me. Those that take me somewhere and those that are cautionary and guide me in what not to do. All instruction is great and useful. I may not see the value in it at the moment, but it is still useful for me to be aware of and dig out from time to time.

When you look at instructions, how do you engage with the what not to do items? Are you so focused on getting to the end, that you don’t even recognize or remember that the cautions and warnings were even there? What if you were to take all instruction seriously and remember those “what not to do” items?

I may have graduated from formal education some time ago, but the instruction I received then is more than valid today as I move forward. Think of sentence structure, Punnett Squares, cash accounting, and all of those “reading”, “writing”, and “rithmatic” items that were learned. Those items may be from the past, but their concepts and uses are very important today.

“⁴For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4 (ESV)

Well all that we learned in school was not all that we learned. Paul draws our attention to the Old Testament and the instruction we receive from the scriptures. Whereas they are from the past and the structure of how used may be a little different today, there is plenty if not all that is useful as we move into today and forward to tomorrow. Think the ten commandments, the life of David, and the whole of Proverbs as just a few examples of instruction from the Old Testament that we use today.

Although I may have reached an end to my formal education, my informal and spiritual education is ongoing. I have to remember that my christian education did not end with my acceptance of salvation. In fact, that should be looked at as just the beginning. Now that I am exposed the love and glory of God, it is my duty to focus on His instruction for my life. That instruction is what is presented for me today and into tomorrow, but I have plenty from the past that I should be learning from that is just as if not more important.

When looking at the instruction in your life, how are you using it today? Are you looking only to the today and tomorrow for learning? What if you applied all that you learned from the past for your today and tomorrow?

This morning I was led to a couple of verses related to my study of the word “instruction”.

“²³Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding. ¹²Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” – Proverbs 23:23 & 12 (ESV)

I know I have placed the verses in reverse chronological order. As I was reading them, I found that for me it made a bit more sense this way. First I have to remember to acquire something and then I have to apply it. Here that something is truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. Once I have gained or am aware of those only then am I able to apply them.

I look at that application referenced in verse 12 and it sticks out to me that I have to remember to apply the instruction at the heart level and not just on the surface. Accepting/acquiring instruction is good and it is also good to begin to use that instruction as I move forward. The real change and depth of knowledge and understanding comes with the application of instruction at the heart level.

When I have instruction in the heart I am able to extend into all areas of my life and not just the one the instruction may have been intended. For example, once I have brought the action of love into my heart, I am able and willing to be the example of love to more than those that are closest to me. I am able to show love to all I come in contact with regardless of where I may be or what I may be involved.

Instruction I receive today will be useful far beyond today, but mainly when I have committed to applying that instruction to my heart and allow my heart to lead me in the path God has for me. I am more than just that which is on the surface and I get that from the instruction I receive daily from all that I seek.

When you are in the world, what instruction are you seeking? Are you seeking to acquire it from those around you? What it you were to apply that instruction to your heart and allow it to emanate from you everywhere and with everything you are involved?

It is hard to make it in this world. It seems as though for the Christian, there is a continuous mounting level of persecution. When we speak out we are considered hypocritical. When we are silent we are considered passive. It seems as though there is no way of getting away from the negative view of Christianity. And as such, I tend to be poisoned to the point that I begin to feel negative about myself and wonder if it is all worth it.

But isn’t the fact that we are being noticed kind of the point. We are making a difference and have to remember that it is really not about us. I have continue with the work that I have been given and know that it is making a difference. Others are watching and see the work I am doing and I have to realize that I am not here to make everyone happy, but I am here to spread the gospel of the Lord.

It is easy for me to simply give in to the naysayers and those that persecute me into believing that I have somehow done something wrong. When really maybe what I have done is to bring light to some darkness. I have to take the work, invite and embrace it so that others can see that work in me.

“⁵A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent. ³²Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.” – Proverbs 15:5 & 32 (ESV)

I have to love myself enough to know that the work I am doing is not for me, but for God. I am not here for my own pleasure, but for His. I am to be doing the work knowing that I will be rewarded. I have to invite the chance to do the work and the consequences of that work and what comes of it here in this world does not really matter when I consider my kingdom purpose. The difficulty that I experience is just part of the journey to the reward I have waiting for me in heaven. I chose to follow Christ and now it is my duty to invite instruction and so that I can do His work.

Loving myself seems to be the place where I struggle the most. When I am working in an environment, regardless of where or what it might be, my thoughts are on making it easier for others and making sure that they have what they need to be successful. I take on more work so others do not have to. In knowing that, I have to love myself enough to know that it is my choice to do that and not to expect anyone to recognize it. I am simply doing that which I have been taught to do and when I am not getting something in return, it should not matter as I will be getting what was expected anyway, the love of God and the satisfaction of doing His work.

So I am here doing the work of the Lord for His glory and knowing that I will receive my reward in heaven. Lord, I invite instruction and reproof so that I can grow in my purpose and bring glory to you. I am yours to direct and I know that the journey may be hard. I love myself enough to know that you only want what is best for me, and that best may not be here, but with you in heaven.

What things are you avoiding because they may be hard? Do you love yourself enough to invite that hard work and know that your reward may be sometime later? What if you loved yourself enough to recognize the work as worthwhile and invited even more of it?