Complete the Charge

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV

In a story titled “Warren runner publishes book on completing marathons in all 50 states,” it was reported that Warren native Jim Roberts has taken his passion for running to new heights — not only by achieving an extraordinary marathon goal but also by chronicling his journey in a newly published book. Roberts, one of only about 180 people to ever run a marathon in all 50 U.S. states under four hours, has released 50sub4: A Marathoning Journey, now available on Amazon. Roberts completed his goal in early 2019, but his journey didn’t end there. To meet the 50sub4 standard, he had to “redo” 10 states, ensuring that every marathon he ran was completed in under four hours. It was during this process that the idea of a book came to life. “To me, it’s like a great summary not only for me, selfishly, but for my family,”Roberts said. “Even if only 10 people buy it, (the book is a) legacy that lingers on about that goal and accomplishment.”

And, you know, when it comes to writing a book with the intent of helping others, Paul wrote his last book (2 Timothy) as a letter to his dear friend, protege, and “son in the faith” to spur him on to continue the work of preaching the unadulterated truths laid out in the Bible. In what may have been Paul’s final words to Timothy, Paul said, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” In other words, Paul was telling Timothy that he should be ready to meticulously and unashamedly proclaim God’s truth, in all circumstances and to all people… whether or not it was convenient or culturally appropriate. Furthermore, Timothy was to preach as passionately to one person as he would to 10, 100, or even a thousand, ‘even if’ only one life was changed. 

So, be ready to preach the Word at all times my friend by carefully studying it, faithfully committing it to memory, and being steadfastly unwilling to compromise on it. Doing so will ensure that you are prepared to complete the “charge.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that every follower of Jesus Christ is charged with preaching the Good News at all times and without compromise. Lord, please help us to understand that there are people who will die in their sin if they don’t hear and accept the Truth so that we will be compelled to passionately preach the word in season and out of season. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!