It seems preaching and suffering are tied together. In the middle of advice about preaching, Paul tells Timothy not to be afraid to suffer for the Lord. He also tells him to be prepared whether the time is favorable or not.
My pastor goes for walks on the beach at 5:00 am to talk to God while he prepares for the sermon. Okay, that may not sound like suffering, but I certainly couldn’t get up that early, even for the beach. Seriously, I know he makes a lot of sacrifices for his ministry. He makes sure he’s always ready to fully carry out his ministry, no matter what the circumstances are.
I’m not a preacher but I can learn something here because I do have a ministry. Right now, my primary ministry is to help my daughter as she heals. But I still have this blog and I’ve agreed to do some things for the church.
I regret that I haven’t been taking the time to be prepared. The time right now in my life is not favorable. I have to be somewhere early and I get home tired at the end of the day. I really do hate getting up early, so I haven’t given myself enough time to have devotions before I leave the house. Besides losing the benefits of starting my day with God, I haven’t been prepared for ministry.
I don’t have the patience I should. I don’t always have a cheerful spirit as I serve. I’ve let days go by without writing devotions. And I’m doing some things at the last minute, without preparation.
I could make excuses. It has been difficult to go from semi-retired to full time Mom and taxi driver. But God has work for me to do. I can’t do it well if I don’t prepare by spending time with Him in His Word. Regardless of my circumstances I need to work at telling the good news, keep a clear mind and not be afraid to suffer.
I need to prepare to fully carry out the ministry He’s given me - even if it means getting up early.
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