A Word in Season: A Pastor’s Progress (1 Timothy 4:15)

Focused Attention in a Distracted Age

One of the things that I say fairly regularly to my children is that in the kingdom of the distracted the focused man is king. I say that because we live in a time and a place where there are countless distractions and Diversions away from the things that are of first importance for a child that might be schoolwork.

It might be a task at home. The ease with which our minds are turned away from what we should be doing to what we Could be doing is is frightening and that doesn't seem to get any easier as we grow up.

And it's certainly not any easier for pastors and preachers. In fact, I think many would say that when they most want to be concentrating when they most want to be considering. What is of first importance what is of eternal significance.

Timothy’s Charge to Meditate on the Truth

Those may be the times when they most battle? Against distractions and Diversions. Now Timothy Paul's protégé seems to have been no different. Paul told him to let no one despise his youth. He exhorted him to give attention to reading to exhortation to doctrine.

He didn't want him to neglect the gift that was in him given by prophecy. But he wanted him to meditate on these things to give himself Entirely to them that his progress might be evident to all first.

Timothy chapter 4 and verse 15. Whatever Timothy had received he was to meditate upon it. He was to give himself entirely to it that his progress might be evident to all and That's still true. Yes, there's a spiritual dynamic to this that we shouldn't for one moment forget.

But the spirit typically works by means and it's as much true for pastors and preachers as for anybody else that there may be 1 inspiration and 99 perspiration and so when it comes to the truth of God when it comes to the deposit of faith Timothy is to meditate upon these things.

He is constantly to be turning them over in his mind. He is to give himself Entirely to them they are to be his first business. Yes, other things are legitimate in their place but Timothy's mind and heart are to be full of God's truth and his Energies are to be taken up with these things.

He's not to be a man marked by constant distractions and diversions. His Focus is not to dribble away in a thousand different directions. He's not to be a a hobbyist in all other things so that he becomes a hobbyist in true religion but rather he is to consider what God has Revealed to us so that his progress might be evident to all.

It should be clear in what he thinks about should be clear in what he preaches about. Should be here clear in the way in which he lives.

The Pastor’s Private Work of Study, Prayer, and Dependence on the Spirit

Now.

Your pastors your preachers. They have this battle. They need to meditate upon God's truth. They need to give themselves to these things in measure. That's true of every believer. We we grow in grace as we consider God as he is revealed in Jesus Christ.

We need to be instructed but the task of the preacher is to bring those things to us and to set them before us in such a way that We can easily carry them away and and and make the most of them. He's going to be doing a lot of the spade work.

He needs to be devoting himself to to reading to praying to studying to thinking On his knees often in dependence upon the Holy Spirit to grasp ever more deeply and ever more Clearly the truth as it is in Jesus so that he can explain it and apply it.

Visible Progress in Godliness and Ministry

And His progress should be evident over time not necessarily from week to week but over the months and over the years. His progress in Understanding God and godliness his own attainments in righteousness and his ability both to grasp it and to Proclaim it should be clear to the people who hear him week after week after week.

So pray for your pastors and preachers. Pray for the men whose blessed Responsibility whose weighty task it is to meditate upon these things and give themselves Entirely to them that under the Spirit's help they may plunge Into the truth of God and bring forth treasures for the benefit of all who hear.