My Responsibility

For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelists, fulfill your ministry. 2 Tim 4:3-5

It breaks my heart when I think of the reality of 2 Tim 4:3-4 in our churches today. There are so many people who just don’t want to listen to truth. What a sad testimony!

Two of my strongest spiritual gifts are teaching and exhortation. Helping to instruct and guide others in their faith is what fuels me. The fact that people don’t want to listen or learn absolutely breaks my heart. I cannot fathom it. And, it often deflates me. I don’t want to continue teaching if they don’t want to learn.

Other people’s lack of desire to learn truth, however, does not excuse me from exercising the gifts God has placed upon me. I cannot lay aside my ministry simply because what I say is not what some people want to hear. I can’t help but think of Isaiah. As God calls Isaiah, He explicitly informs him that the people will not listen to him. They will have hard hearts and will reject truth. (Is 6:9-10) That was at the beginning of Isaiah’s call.

Timothy was not instructed to make people listen. He was instructed to fulfill the ministry God had placed on Him. I am challenged in the same way. Whether people listen or not, I am to exercise the gifts God has placed upon me. That is my responsibility. He will take care of the rest.