2 Timothy 4:2

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.

           You don’t have to be a preacher to preach and you don’t have to be a full time minister to speak the Word. God gave us all the Word. It is there for us to use in every part of our lives. We must apply it to our own lives, and then use it to correct, rebuke and encourage those around us.

           As we know from 2 Timothy chapter 3 “All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking and training in righteousness.” Every Word in the bible is from God. There is not one part of it that we cannot use. And we must be ready. “Be prepared in season and out of season.”

           There will be opportunities for you to speak the Word. God will open doors and prepare the way, but it is up to you to take advantage of it. You must be familiar with the Word. We are told that the Holy Spirit will bring the Word to our remembrance when we are in need of it, but you cannot remember something that you never knew. Spend time in the Word; become familiar with it.

           When God opens a door into someone’s heart you want to make sure that you are ready. You don’t want to miss the opportunity. Use the Word for correcting, rebuking and encouraging.

           This passage continues on to remind us that we must exercise great patience and careful instruction. When you are correcting your fellow brother or sister, don’t get frustrated. Instead, be patient, understanding the difficulties of change. Be careful to instruct them and show them where they messed up so they can make it right. And most of all do this in Love. If you Love them you will correct them in a way that is encouraging and uplifting, instead of tearing them down.