Let no one despise you for your
youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in
faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of
Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which
was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice
these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. —1 Timothy 4:12-15
When the apostle Paul was training
up his protégé Timothy in the disciplines of faith, he established a healthy
standard. That standard wasn’t perfection; it was perseverance. “Practice
these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.”
He wasn’t asking Timothy to try, but rather instructing him to train.
What do you need to train for?
Note in the passage above that Paul
included both personal and public practices as part of his
training for Timothy. This younger Christian was to make sure his speech,
conduct, love, faith, and purity were worthy of a follower of Jesus. Timothy
was also to be intentional about using his unique gifting as he ministered to
others. These would make a long and daunting to-do list if the expectation was
perfection.
But… following Christ is not about a to-do list. It isn’t about a checklist.
When Paul told Timothy to “practice”
and “immerse” himself in these pursuits, he was calling him to an attitude of
perseverance in training. It’s an attitude Paul had stated earlier and was
reinforcing for its significance: “ . . . train yourself for godliness;
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way,
as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1
Timothy 4:7-8).
Do you sometimes feel like you need
to be perfect in order for God to use you, love you, or accept you?
If we aim at perfection, we fall
short. But if we persevere at making genuine progress, willing to let God work
on us as long as it takes, good things happen. We won’t ever “arrive” at
perfection this side of heaven, but we are growing and moving forward. We’re
farther along than we were a year ago—and wiser than we were six months ago.
God delights in such progress.
Most people already know you aren’t
perfect, so don’t waste time trying to prove otherwise. But they will pay
attention when they see progress in your life. You will be amazed at the way
God makes little adjustments in your character that can have a huge impact on
others. In order for these good things to happen, you must persevere with
Christ.
The authentic Christian life is
often compared to a journey and a long race. Seeing the end of his own life,
Paul told Timothy “I have finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7). The writer
of Hebrews urged his readers to “run with endurance the race that is set
before us, looking to Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). How you run today
reflects how much you have benefited from all the training you've received.
Even failures are part of God’s
training plan. Like Timothy, you haven’t finished the race yet, so today is
another opportunity to persevere. Following Jesus is the ultimate marathon, and
the more you incorporate the reality of spiritual endurance in your life, the
more you will find yourself accelerating as you cross the finish line.
Would you honestly say you trend toward perfection
or sloppiness?
No matter what your answer above, what
would genuine spiritual progress look like in your life?
How will you make this a year of progress in your
walk with Christ?
