The words have been before me for days now …
“I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation.”
(2 Timothy 4:1-5a, NLT)
Returning to look at this again this morning, I realized I see the word “preach” and think I have not been called to “preach”. And that is true. To a point. But each of our lives does in effect, preach. No? We are called to share the Truth.
So the question becomes – “How are we to do this?”
- Always be prepared. Whether I feel like it, or not. Whether it is convenient, or not.
- Patiently correct. Don’t get angry when bringing correction. A correction, when not done in and with grace, can do more harm than good.
- Speak truth. God’s. It will not always be received but we must share His Truth, not diluting it to make it more desirable.
- Keep our minds clear. We need to stay alert – able to discern trends in religion and false teachings.
Keeping a clear mind in every situation can be challenging, especially with the many voices heard at any given time on social media.
To keep a clear mind, or to use a modern idiom – “to keep one’s head” – is the ability to remain calm and sensible when in an awkward situation that might otherwise cause someone to panic or go out of control.
We are to become more of the solution or answer, rather than the butane in a conversation. The balm rather than the abrasive.
Let’s keep a clear mind in every situation.
Today I am joining … #DreamTogether and Moments of Hope and Soul Survival .
A clear mind brings up the image of taking time out of our busy day to ponder, think, and reflect. To go over and see if the messages we heard that day are truth or lies. To think about what we need to change or how we would answer that question next time. To just calm our minds from the constant barrage of information and distraction and push a reset button. You post is making me think. Thanks.
And your comment is making me think this morning! Theresa, you have pointed to the truth that in order to have a clear mind we must be intentional. Such a needed truth and I am glad you shared!
Love your points about how we preach the gospel in our day-to-day life.
It’s easy for our minds to get muddled these days when we listen to the news or read posts on social media. So I need this encouragement today to keep a clear mind! It would help our relationships, our faith walk, and our own internal struggles. Thanks, Joanne.
Lisa, I so agree. We need to wade through all the minutia and stay focused each day on what is truly important.
Great post, Joanne. The balm rather than the butane—I like the word pictures!