…[be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. [Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome… 2 Timothy 2:4, Amplified Bible (AMP)

I have a friend who, from time to time, gives an elderly gentleman a ride to a local bus station. The elderly fellow, who lives in the same area as my friend, has a habit of standing by the roadside in hopes that someone will stop to give him a ride. A handful of people do, and some years ago my friend felt convicted to become one of those people.

My friend usually picks the fellow up in his car, so the fellow recognizes my friend’s car. One day, however, my friend had his wife’s vehicle, and he noticed the man while he was on his way to an appointment. The appointment wasn’t in the direction of the bus stop, so to give the elderly gentleman a ride would have been out of the way. Therefore, my friend passed the fellow, knowing that he would not recognize my friend due to his being in a different automobile.

As soon as my friend passed the fellow, the Holy Spirit smote my friend’s heart. “Although it’s inconvenient and out of the way,” the Spirit prompted, “you’ve got the time to help the guy. Go back and take him to the bus stop.” Obediently, my friend turned around, and after a ten minute detour, my friend made it to his appointment on time.

God, through Paul, teaches us to be ready to serve on a moment’s notice, whether the circumstances of rendering the service are convenient or not. Granted, 2 Timothy 4:2 speaks specifically to a readiness to preach on a moment’s notice, but preaching is a form of service done for God’s glory and for the benefit of others. Every form of Christian service is done for God’s glory and for the benefit of others, so it naturally follows that the lesson of 2 Timothy 4:2 applies to any service that God tasks us with.

God wants us to be a living sacrifice for Him on this Earth. If service to others was always convenient, it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice, would it? The next time you detect the Holy Spirit prompting you to action, brush off the inconvenience and embrace the opportunity to serve. That, my friend, is part of your reasonable service.

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