Let's Not Make it Too Easy

“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus… preach the word… endure hardship… fulfill your ministry.” — 2 Timothy 4:1–5

I wonder if sometimes we make preaching too easy on both ends.

We need preachers. Do we ever! We want to encourage good young men to preach. So we tell them how wonderful it is, and it is. We tell them they can make a difference, and they can. We tell them about the joy of teaching the Word, helping people, baptizing souls, strengthening churches, and spending a life doing work that matters.

We should tell them all of that.

But we should also tell them the rest.

Preaching is hard.

There will be criticism. There will be people you love who leave. There will be elders you do not understand and decisions you cannot control. There will be sermons that seem to accomplish nothing, problems you cannot fix, and Mondays when you wonder if you can keep doing this.

Maybe we sometimes make it too easy to get into preaching because we do not tell young men enough about the cost.

Then, when the cost finally comes, we can make it too easy to get out.

Paul’s words to Timothy sound very different.

“I solemnly charge you…”

That phrase carries weight. Paul is not casually suggesting a career choice. He places Timothy’s responsibility in the presence of God and Christ Jesus: the One who will judge the living and the dead. And it’s Paul talking. Paul, who has been humiliated, cursed, ostracized, put out, attacked, imprisoned, beaten, and left for dead, but he’s still preaching.

Solemnly charge - The two words are actually one Greek word. Paul isn't recruiting Timothy. He's commissioning him. This is not work you step into lightly—or step out of lightly. When you choose to preach, it will get tough.

Before God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. Timothy, I'm not merely advising you to preach. I'm putting you under solemn testimony before the Judge Himself.

Now comes the command:

“Preach the word.”

And notice Paul does not pretend it will always go well.

There will be an “in season” and an “out of season.” There will be people who will not endure sound teaching. There will be times when people would rather hear something else.

So what does Paul tell Timothy?

Not, “If it becomes difficult, find something easier.”

He says:

“Endure hardship.”

“Do the work of an evangelist.”

“Fulfill your ministry.”

Now, that does not mean a preacher can never leave a place. Sometimes leaving is wise, healthy, and necessary. Nor does it mean every man who has ever preached must remain in a paid preaching position for the rest of his life. There are certainly valid reasons to step aside. 

But it does mean we ought to be careful about treating a sacred responsibility casually.

Maybe we need to tell men the truth on the way in:

This is wonderful work. And sometimes it is terribly hard work.

And then, when the hard days arrive, instead of immediately showing them the exit, perhaps we need to stand beside them, strengthen their hands, remind them why they started, and point them back to Paul’s words:

Endure hardship. Fulfill your ministry.

Brother, if today happens to be one of those hard Mondays, don’t make a permanent decision because of a painful season.

Don’t quit on a Monday.