ASLC Devotions - Friday

2 Timothy 4:2 Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.

When we put the term "evangelist" in the context of our own lives, we may think of sharing the news with our friends and co-workers.  But, we should not forget that we need to share God’s Word with people of all ages. When reading this verse from 2 Timothy, I could not help but think of how we teach our children about Jesus. Timothy asks us to “proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable.” I have had many moments where my children have asked difficult questions about the church or Jesus.  While, the best and easiest answer is to say that we can ask Pastors Seth or Jenn the next time we see them, I also know this will not satisfy.  I usually try to give them an answer that will be satisfying to their curiosity, but also give them the confidence to ask more questions about their faith. 

As the reading continues on to say, “for the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires.” This makes me mindful that like adults, children will continue to search, if they do not get answers to their questions.  These may come from rock stars, TV personalities, or others who will give them answers that may be easier to accept, but not necessarily the truth as we Christians would like to see it.  Now is our chance to give our children, and other adults, the right answers. While it may seem like “suffering” to find an instant answer to “Who created God?” or “How does God make it snow?”, Timothy reminds us that if we do our work as an evangelist and a child of God, we are fulfilling God’s will for us.

Vikki Drucker

Join us for worship this First Sunday in Lent at 8:30 and 11. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for a full calendar.