OCTOBER 2 READING…2 TIMOTHY 2
What should a Pastor look like? I am talking about his characteristic of his character, and his call. Paul gives us this information in our reading today. He does so by using several word pictures describing what a biblical Pastor is like. A Pastor is one who disciples others in the faith. A Pastor is single-minded…that is, his heart and mind are not divided between the things of this world and the things of God. A Pastor is like a good farmer…in that he is to be a hard worker, who shares in the fruit of his labor. The life of a farmer is not easy, nor is the life of a biblical Pastor…both pour their lives into the fields of their ministry. Both can be disappointed and encouraged by the results of their labor. A Pastor is to be a diligent worker, who in not lazy. He is to diligently learn, teach, and defend the genuine Word of God. He is to work and be faithful with the things of God, so he never has to be ashamed of his call or his work. A Pastor is to live a sanctified life, that is to live a holy life…a life that is unpolluted by the things in this world that are contrary to God. He is to refrain from sin, and if he does fall into sin, he is to quickly repent and come back to the Lord. Finally, Paul tells us that a Pastor is to be a gentle servant. Like the shepherd with his sheep to gently lead and strongly protect. The sheep may be afraid of every other human being, but they are never afraid of their gentle shepherd. A Pastor must make the Lord’s sheep feel safe, welcomed, and loved. Those who are not like what Paul describes in our text today are not shepherds (biblical pastors)…but they are the hirelings that Jesus warned about.
Please share your thoughts.
TOMORROW’S READING…2 TIMOTHY 3
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