Lesson 2: Serve where you are
1 Timothy 1:3-7 - www.bible.com/bible/59/1ti.1   

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,
7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.


When I was much younger I lived my life in “when.” It was when I get older, or when I have time, or after the holidays, or after this project – always “when” something that was true in my life at that time was no longer true. I thought I could only serve God when all the conditions of my life were right. I discovered, however, that “when” never came. So I missed many, many opportunities to serve God where I was, where He had placed me.

We must never wait for “when” to serve God. He has placed us exactly where He wants us to serve at this moment. When we wait, we are telling Him we don’t trust Him to work through us. Sometimes we try to do things in our own understanding, and our verses today give us an uncomfortable picture of what happens when we do so – we “wander away into vain discussion.” The important point to remember is: it is not WE who lead someone to the Lord; it is not our effort which will save a soul. Our only responsibility is to tell others about Jesus. There is no more powerful witness we can ever give than to tell others what Jesus has done for us. There is no more powerful testimony we can ever give than to display in truth our joy in Jesus Christ, even (and especially) while we are in a time of suffering or trial. We do not need to be highly educated or know all of the deep doctrinal arguments for different situations to be able to give our testimony or to witness for Him. All we need is to trust Him where we are, at the moment in which He urges us to speak. He has already given us the promise that He will give us the words in that moment (Luke 12:12).

*What have you promised God you will do “when….”? What is He nudging you to begin doing right now?