YM DEVO: Having Perspective
Read 2 Timothy 4:6-18
Questions to Process:
- What kind of turmoil was happening around Paul and his ministry?
- How did Paul respond to all this turmoil?
Paul is at the end of his life and people have started to desert him. BUT, despite it all, he remains focused on the Lord, the ministry that is happening and can happen. Basically Paul said, “My life stinks right now as these slackers are all deserting me, but I fought hard and to God be the glory of all that He allowed me to do”. What a great perspective and attitude to have – still giving God the glory for all that has happened even in the midst of frustrations (verse 18 – “To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”).
This passage really caused me to do a reality check. In fact, I feel that God just slapped me in the face with this passage. See if this kind of stuff was happening to Tom, Tom would say something like this: “My life really sucks right now. How could this happen to me? Look at all I did and now THIS happens!?!”. Now, that is a bit extreme, but I’d be lying to you if I said I never thought something similar to that.
The reality is all that God has allowed me to do in my life is for the glory of the Lord, not for the glory of Tom. God has an ultimate plan that may or may not go exactly how I want it or how I think it should go. That is why I need to be in tune with what God’s plan is and see how He is working. How selfish of me to think that I should always benefit and prosper because I am doing God’s work (i.e., a Youth Minister).
I need keep my focus on the Lord at all time and be content where where He has me. In his letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:10-13), Paul talks about this. Paul had to learn the secret of being content. It didn’t happen overnight, but over time, he became completely content with where God had him at that moment. So I have to learn and gain perspective in all situations and be content that God has me where He has me for a reason and I need to be good with that.
TAKE A MINUTE right now and think about where you are in life. Are you content where God has you or no? Spend some time meditating on what it means to be content. What is God trying to teach you in your situation right now?
A favorite verse of mine the past few months has been Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
What we have to do is to trust Him, be content in Him, rely on Him. We may never understand His ways, but if we continue to keep the right perspective and trust God, He will bring us through it – one way or another. So, as you process and meditate, ask the Lord for the right perspective to have in that situation and that He would give you wisdom and discernment in how to move forward. Only He will be able to tell you how you can do that.
