336. Be Ready in Season and out of Season

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Tim. 4:1-2.

The apostle charges us to preach the Word and to be ready in season and out of season. He wanted Timothy to always be alert, ready to seize every opportunity the Spirit gave him, whenever and wherever.

Be ready in season and out of season. This word can also be misused by people who believe they must always be preaching to others in season and out of season. It can be that the person who says little is more ready in season and out of season than the one who talks constantly. Jesus says: “Without me, you can do nothing.” We have many examples of people who have become addicted to preaching and who simply chase people away by saying too much. It can look like they are ready in season and out of season, but actually they just preach in season and out of season. When God wants something said, more often than not they are so busy preaching that they are unable to keep the commandment to be ready in season and out of season.

When it comes to zeal, it is not necessarily those who seem the most zealous who accomplish the most. Aboard ships I have seen immaculately dressed cooks whose whole appearance is gleaming white. You could think that they never did a thing, yet the pots and pans were brightly polished and the food was first class. Then there are cooks who make a grand mess and create a big commotion when they prepare a meal. Similarly, I have seen commanding officers who did not do any of the manual labor but simply directed the work. Other officers have done the work themselves, grumbling, while those who should have been working stood by and watched. I wonder who accomplished the most.

We cannot judge people’s accomplishments by their apparent activity. The final result will reveal who has accomplished the most.