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2 Timothy 2:20-26 Useful to the MasterYou aren’t a Christian for long before you realize that God has saved you for a purpose. That purpose is to serve Him. Throughout the New Testament we are exhorted to do good works. However, we have to be clear that these good works do not save us.  Useful like a Swiss Army Knife We are saved to serve. God wants us to do good works, however small they may be. He wants us to be useful to Him. Paul also writes to Timothy encouraging him to be useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work (2 Tim 2:20-26). To be useful to the Master we need to take certain action. We don’t become useful by just hoping that God will use us. These few verses challenge us to pay attention to two critical areas. Firstly, we need to work on our own personal integrity, so that we are instruments that God can use. Secondly, we need to develop people skills, in order to lead others to Christ. Every Christian needs to take action in these two areas, not just church leaders. The action needed should not be too difficult for those who have the Holy Spirit. Scottish preacher, Robert Murray McCheyne, wrote, “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.” In other words, his personal integrity was foundational to his ministry. English poet, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” That is, we cannot live removed from others; and so we need good people skills to relate to one another. No Christian would be content with being useless to the Master. These verses help us understand how we can be useful to the Master, which in turn brings contentment in life.
The other Rev.
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