In his instructions to his protégé Timothy, the apostle Paul shared the following:
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,correcting his opponents with gentleness.” – (2 Timothy 2:24-25)
These instructions were not just for Timothy. For anyone who would be “the Lord’s servant,” you have four difficult tasks to hold in harmony:
- Do not be quarrelsome, but kind.
- Have the ability to teach.
- Endure evil with patience.
- Correct opponents with gentleness.
This kind of ability would simply not be possible without the work of the Spirit of God in someone, especially when dealing with pugnacious unbelievers.
But what does this look like in real life?
Please watch THIS VIDEO in which Pastor Jeff Durbin of Apologia Church engages with an incensed Georgia legislator on the issue of abortion and equal protection.
It would have been easier to respond to this individual with a harsh word, but that only would have stirred up anger (Proverbs 15:1). By God’s grace, Pastor Jeff modeled what it means to be a servant of the Lord. He demonstrated kindness, teaching, endurance of evil, and gentle correction.
Not only did he present a strong argument for equal protection, but his gentle demeanor demonstrated a contrast that the watching world needs to see: the divide between biblical Christians who are unashamed to bring God’s Word to the public square, and unbelievers who, sadly, love death.
Be encouraged and equipped by this video, and let’s pray for these representatives, that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:25-26).
