Continue
Today's Verse:
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; ~2 Timothy 3:14
The famed English statesman, Winston Churchill, was asked to give the commencement address to the graduating class of a prominent university. After he was introduced, Mr. Churchill came to the platform to speak. The audience expected a dynamic speech that would last 45 minutes or longer. Mr. Churchill scanned his audience and said, “Never! Never! Never give up!” He repeated again, “Never! Never! Never give up!” He then turned around and sat down. This may have been one of the shortest, yet, riveting speeches ever. In three short words, he gave the most powerful advice ever again. This morning, we are looking at another word of encouragement that was given back in the first century. It follows the same line of thought as Mr. Churchill’s message. It is an exhortation to never give up. It is the exhortation to continue.
We see a decaying society.
Paul described to Timothy the apostasy and decline of society. He bluntly spoke about the selfishness, pride, blasphemy, disobedience, lustful desires, worldliness, and dishonorableness of the times. Jesus said that where iniquity abounds, the love of many grows cold. Society is shifting away from God. The average church member is indifferent and non-committal about living for God and serving God. We see an increase in sinful addictions and a decline in Christians surrendering to serve God full-time. We live in a time where there is a lack of conscience towards sin. Tolerance is the theme being promoted about behavior that the Bible describes as sinful. Yet, Christians and the Bible are considered intolerant of the sin in our society. The church is considered bigoted and hateful. We are living in a time of a decaying society.
We see a discouraged servant.
Timothy was a discouraged pastor. With Paul in prison and the prospect of him being beheaded as an enemy of the state, Timothy felt like he should not be in the ministry. He became shy in his preaching, his people relationships, and the overall enthusiasm he had for serving the Lord. He felt intimidated by the increasing threat of evil deceivers. Discouragement can happen to the best of us. We can feel like quitting and hiding. When we get discouraged, we must remember that this happens to everyone and we must not allow ourselves to succumb to the temptation to quit.
We see a determined steadfastness.
Paul knew that Timothy was struggling. He instructed Timothy to do one thing: continue! Continue, and don’t quit. Continue in the doctrine that has been ingrained in you. Continue in the best practices of studying God’s Word, praying, and winning souls. Don’t stop preaching; increase your preaching. Revisit the vision that God has given you for your life, your family, your church, and reaching the world. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned. When pressures come, continue. When evil men increase, continue. When your strength is ebbing away, continue. When persecution comes into your life, continue!
No matter what happens around us, the best advice we can follow is to continue. Continue, even though you must start over. Continue!
Have a steadfast God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Chronicles 9-12