Jump Start # 811

1 Timothy 4:15 “Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all.”

Paul writes to Timothy about preaching, but more so, about the Christian life. The older preacher and the younger preacher. The apostle and the young disciple. Experienced and inexperience. That is the setting for 1 Timothy. Timothy was preaching at Ephesus. Reading 1 Timothy, tells us that there were all kinds of things going on, good and bad. Young preachers get discouraged. I know, I’ve been one. There is something genuine and honest about the heart of the young preacher. They just love the Lord and want to preach that word with all their heart. I know, I have one in my family. Looking at him reminds me of myself thirty years ago. Sometimes we just don’t listen well to those young preachers. They are so idealistic and young. We don’t want to change, so we don’t. We never realize that our stubbornness can kill the heart of a young preacher. They get discouraged. Some want to quit. Some do. Paul writes to one such preacher. His words are intended to encourage, strengthen and motivate.

Our passage is found in a series of short instructions to Timothy. Paul writes concerning the things that he can do. Notice these words: “take pains…be absorbed.” Wonderful words. Powerful concepts. People have taken great pains to finish their degree. They’ve worked and gone to school, living on very little sleep. It was hard, very hard. Others have taken great pains to pay off debt. They have sacrificed and done without just so they could pay off the car loan or the mortgage on the house.

Paul has in mind the spiritual. He always does. Take pains with these things…be absorbed in them are directed toward the spiritual disciplines in life. This is odd for many of us. Taking pains with the spiritual is just taking things a bit too seriously. Paul didn’t seem to think so. Too many are content just to go to church on Sunday and then get back to their life. For Paul, Christ was his life. He said so in Col. 3:2.

Something special happens when a person becomes absorbed with a subject—they become an expert. Consider the person who has devoted their life to music. He has studied music, taken lessons, read books about music and enjoys it passionately. He is absorbed with it. He talks about it so easily and freely. You will find people coming to him for advice about music. Some will ask if he can give lessons. You find the same thing to someone who has devoted his life to cars. He knows cars. When a friend has a car problem, he knows just who to ask for help. The people you see on the cable channels, such as the cooking shows or the travel shows or the antique shows—how is it that they know so much about their topic? They have absorbed themselves with it. They’ve taken great pains to know it.

Now, consider what would happen if we became absorbed with the New Testament. What if we took great pains to learn Jesus? Imagine what that would do for us. First, we would feel very sure about God. We would know God, if that is possible. Our confidence would rise because we have become absorbed with it. Then, others would come to us when they wanted to know things. Why? Because they knew that we knew.

When those things happen the end of this verse becomes natural. Paul said your progress will be evident to all. How so? Because you have taken pains with these things and have become absorbed with them. Sometimes growth is hard to see in ourselves, but others see it. Absorption with God makes it happen.

Paul gives us a great thought to end with: what is evident about us? What do folks see? What do they see spiritually? Are you progressing? Paul says you should.

The word “pains” sound painful—there is no easy shortcuts here. A younger preacher listened to an older preacher preach. He was impressed. He told the older preacher, “I’d give anything to know the Bible like you do.” The older preacher replied, “I gave 40 years of my life.” There is no other way. Soak it up, that’s what absorbed means. Drink deeply of God’s word. Learn, grow, ask questions, seek, listen, read…that is the absorption process.

Roger