Are you ready?
2 Timothy 4:1-5
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The content of Paul’s charge to Timothy is centered on the believer's attitude of service to God. Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father; whereas Timothy was Paul’s disciple, friend, student, and co-laborer until the end of Paul’s life. Paul knew that his life was ending soon. He makes it clear to Timothy that he is ready to go home to glory. He specifies his faith-filled life in vs. 6. He says: For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. A believer that has lived a life worthy of God’s call can say with confidence; I am ready whenever He says it's time, and I'll do what is required of me until He calls. My grandmother's favorite song was, "When He Calls Me, I Will Answer, I'll Be Somewhere Listening For My Name." She was 92 years old when the Lord called her home.
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There was a secular psychiatrist that designed eight stages of social and emotional life development, in 1956, for every human being. While my focus isn’t the stages in itself, the last stage is the one I’d like to share. The last stage of life, according to Erickson, is that of Wisdom; it is the stage of “Integrity vs. Despair.” We call it, gerontology. Erickson says that if the other seven psycho-social stages of development have been successfully achieved, the mature adult develops the peak of adjustment: integrity/wisdom. "He trusts, he is independent and dares the new. He works hard, has found a well-defined role in life, and has developed a self-concept with which he is happy. He can be intimate without strain, guiltless, does not focus on regrets, or does not lack realism in life; and he is proud of what he creates - his children, his work, or his hobbies." In Christ, we place all our cares on Him. He speaks for us; therefore, we become fulfilled because of the debt he paid for our sinful state and because we have followed his leadership in our lives. However, there are some who will attain this age feeling worthy of enjoying their lives without Christ. They will also come to a point of integrity or wisdom and feel grateful for how they have lived their lives. However, without Christ, there is still an after life that man must take in account. We can ignore it or refuse to believe it, but all will close their eyes some day. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "God has put eternity in the heart of man." Although I believe that Erickson did great research on this stage of life, even if each stage of life has been met according to this standard, the Bible says, what does it profit a man to gains the whole world, and lose his soul (Mark 8:36)? If God's standard has been ignored, man is lost. God's standard is Jesus Christ's perfection and we cannot attain perfection in our sinful bodies; therefore, we must trust the only One who can stand before God on our behalf. The Bible teaches that apart from Christ, there is no hope.
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As Paul realized his life counted for nothing outside of Christ (Phil. 3:8), he also realized, in Christ, he had completed his purpose. He had reached a life of integrity because he had trusted Christ for his salvation. His path was clear and he knew the time was approaching where he would stand before his maker.
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Lord, help each person to know that you have ordained a specific purpose for life. It is your desire that no one should perish but all may experience eternal life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Encourage and Be Encouraged!
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Resources used: Bible Commentary, John MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV), and Teacher's Critical Commentary. Psychology, Myers in Modules...Myers, David G., 6th edition, 2000
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