2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 REFLECTION "Poured Out" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 83: Paul encourages us to endure and live a life poured out for God. Being poured out is worth reflecting upon further.
Poured out — what an image!
We are not as familiar with this image as Timothy would have been.
We have seen scenes in music or movies where someone honors another person, almost always someone who has died, by pouring out a drink onto the ground in their honor.
It’s something like that.
A common image Paul uses for his writings involves temple worship in the more gentile regions. Often times there was the pouring out of a libation to the god being worshiped.
It’s a way of uplifting honor—which was a huge part of the culture.
Paul is viewing himself as a life lived in honor of God.
He is being poured out — what he does, says, and is all points to God with honor.
It’s quite a statement.
Would you sum up your life in this way?
Maybe a chunk of your life, right?
Maybe a significant chunk at that…but your whole life?
It’s common in our culture to compartmentalize our faith from other aspects of our lives.
It’s been more and more common over the last 70 years to marry our national culture to our faith to the point where we no longer distinguish them.
But…we still clock-in to our faith.
When we get home or around friends we feel the opportunity to “take off the mantle of ministry,” which is a healthy thing to do. Be a spouse when you are home. Be a parent. Be a child to your parents. Be a friend to your inner-circle.
But sometimes we feel we can take off the mantle of faith.
Paul would encourage us to NEVER do this.
Faith doesn’t have to be so wrapped up in dogma and symbols and rituals, but it runs deeper in our hearts than all of that stuff.
We want to have a hope…like Paul did.
No matter what we are facing, Paul wants us to endure.
The crown image he offers has nothing to do with a golden crown of honor or power.
Rather, the word refers to the crown you win by finishing a race in that day. Furthermore, when you see the word “conquer” in our new testament, it’s always referring to finishing a race—not winning a war.
Conquering never refers to exerting power or dominance, but by enduring and finishing the race not allowing anything to get you off track.
Paul encouraged Timothy and encourages us to continue to grow in our faith so that we can endure whatever comes…that our lives can be poured out in honor to God.
Pouring ourselves out does not mean always giving of yourselves in an outflowing of energy and time.
Pouring ourselves out for God can mean finding rest, embracing joy and time with friends and family, finding good balance…but also giving our hearts in ministry to others.
My prayer for you is that you are poured out for God without totally exhausting yourself.
Empty yourself of ego, power, status, and honor…but make sure you let the grace and love of God fill you back up. Make sure you are honoring your mind, your body, and your soul by receiving the good things life has to offer.
Be poured out, my friends.
Endure and finish the race.
And let the joy you find in doing so be a reflection of light to others that they can’t help themselves but to join in.
Thank you for serving Jesus Christ, my siblings.
May that service continue to bring you grace and peace.
Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).
https://sundayschool.store/products/pray-for-all-people-lesson