Be A Watcher

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. — 1 Timothy 4:16

There is so much to love about this letter. I love it because it feels like we are reading a confidential letter written by a high-level leader to an apprentice in process, which gives us this inside look at both men from both angles. It model's everything I think men want to be as leaders and it highlights everything we want to experience as young proteges.

But every leader and mentor knows there is a moment when his apprentice must take responsibility for himself. And that is the spirit of these words here. Paul tells Timothy that now is the time for him to "watch himself." In other words, Paul will not be around to coach, train, and redirect him. So from this moment forward, he needs to keep a watchful eye on the things he is hearing and learning. He needs to be attentive. And he will have to "persist with it" because all kinds of false doctrines will persist, so he cannot let down his guard.

I don't know about you, but I feel like this is exactly the time we're in. Our enemy, the Devil, is working overtime to indoctrinate us with ideas that have tiny shreds of truth that are bound to all kinds of lies and lead to false doctrines that oppose the gospel. These ideas find their way into unsuspecting minds who will bite on the shreds of truth and blindly get hooked by the many lies that lead them down a road of confusion. This is happening in our world and churches today, and many are being led away because of it.

But, as Paul says here, we bear a responsibility for this. An individual responsibility. We, as godly men, are called to steward the truth. And the first way we steward it is by "watching ourselves." By watching what we consume in thought and thus believe. Therefore we must test every ideology against biblical truth. And this is a spiritual leader's work. We must get in the gym and train our minds daily with gospel truth. At the same, there is a second action. We must "persist with it," meaning we must do the three things Paul commanded Timothy to do in the previous text. We have to read the truth, preach it, and teach it, persisting with it even when other ideologies seem to gain traction. And we can't quit and give in because there is hope. Hope that our truthful persistence will persuade some to salvation.

So don't quit today. You may feel alone in the battle for knowing and living the truth. But persistence with the truth might result in the salvation of someone you know and love.

ASK THIS: What truth do you need to persist with, and who could it affect?

DO THIS: Name them in the comments below.

PRAY THIS: God, may your Spirit be stronger in me than my desire to do things alone.

PLAY THIS: I Will Wait For You.