2Timothy 4:11- Bring Mark with you , for he is useful to me in the ministry.
I came across this verse in my devotions this morning. Let me give you some food for thought regarding this verse.
1. Mark had been cast aside from Paul for forsaking him at a critical moment in his missionary tour with Barnabas ( Ac 15:37 - 40; 13:5 , 13 ). Bottom line: he blew it in a critical moment when his senior pastor needed him to produce. Mark let him down. Nothing is worse then counting on someone you can't count on. Mark was not useful to Paul. The truth is, if you are not useful to your leader, you are useless to him/her.
2. Paul is writing to Timothy, who occupied the same post in relation to Paul as Mark once held. Your position can be done by someone else. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking you are not expendable. Not arrogance, but ignorance is the cause of a people thinking God's work cannot be done without them. Just because He called you, doesn't means He needs you. You must walk humbly in your bold calling.
3. Paul wipes out the past by giving high praise of Mark to Timothy. Great leaders never let bridges on fire burn to the ground. Paul never completely walked away from Mark. I believe this is the essence of great leadership. When a leader can stay connected when they have been left or hurt, that leader is something special. Very rarely do you ever see this in practice today. The church leadership has adopted the philosophy, "if you aren't on staff with me, then you are against me." Lord, help us to get back to secure leadership.
4. Timothy and Mark must have had some sort of relationship. Can you imagine having a strong relationship with the person who took your place? Can you imagine being truly connected to a ministry you walked away from to the point when the leader asks for you to walk with him, you do? Look how foreign this is in our church world today. We check the attendance and the tithe and run our mouths off about the person we let down, as if it was their fault we screwed up! Paul sent Timothy to get the guy he replaced. How could egos be removed so the work of the ministry could get accomplished? Answer. It was about the work of the ministry and not the ego of the ministers. That's how it has to be done.
Bottom line, our job is to simply be useful to our senior pastor today. Whether it's carrying boxes to his car or being in the meeting mentally that your body is in physically, be useful. Whether you are working on the grad service or just trying to keep the student ministry out of his way, be useful. Whether you are cleaning up after the senior adults who left their mess in your area or you are shooting him/her a text to let him know you are praying for him, be useful. People are paid by the problems they solve, not produce, for their leaders. If you are a problem-solver, and not a problem-producer, there will always be a position for you to fill. Why? YOU ARE USEFUL!
Hope I helped,
pg
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