‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.’
2 Timothy 2:15 

My son is a Gas Safety Engineer. On his van he has a sticker which displays his certificate and number, showing that he is an approved contractor. Every 5 years he has to re-sit his gas safety exams and he must get 100% to stay approved. No point in getting 99% if the bit you get wrong is switching off the gas. 

Fortunately for the disciple of Jesus, there is no strict rule or pass mark, for we are saved by grace, but we are encouraged to ‘do our best’. The parable of the talents also shows us that the Lord will examine us according to our abilities, so ‘doing our best’ will look different from person to person. 

What is important is that we stay on the journey and learn to know, appreciate and live by the promises of God in Scripture, which are our inheritance as citizens of the Kingdom. 

Two little questions

I have learned to ask two little questions that help me to stay focused on Jesus and keep on track with his purposes for me.

They are found in Acts 22, verses 8 and 10, where Saul of Tarsus recounts his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

‘Who are you, Lord? … What shall I do, Lord?’

I sometimes wonder why this aspiring theologian asked these questions because they are so simple. But they are also profound.

I often use them in my daily ‘quiet time’ with the Lord, but – having studied them over many years now – they have actually come to define my purpose in life.

Finding your purpose

Who is God? He is the God who progressively reveals himself throughout Scripture – by names, through his people and the rest of his creation, and finally through his Son (Hebrews 1:1-3).

God is infinite and we finite humans have access to infinite truth through him. If God had not spoken, everything would be a closed mystery.

What is God doing? He is reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

So, the starting point of who I am and what I do is found in the person of God. He has brought me into the Kingdom of the Son he loves, and this Son guarantees God’s approval of me (Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23).

God’s Word calls me to continue to live in Christ, allowing the truth of his promises to impact all areas of my life and revealing him to those around me. So, I need to do my best to understand and hold onto Scripture.

Finding deeper answers together

Those two little questions have been companions to me for many years now and through study, meditation and application they have been distilled and purified in my heart.

Each week I meet up with my friend, Martyn, to encourage each other in our faith. I asked him to tell me how these two questions have helped him in his relationship with Jesus.

Simple answer: ‘They help me to understand Scripture, and how it relates to my life. They help me to find its meaning.’

Deeper answer: ‘They take the focus away from me and what I get from this, and put it on God. It is not just about how this helps me, but how God invites me into what is important to him?”

I want to encourage you to be on a journey of pursuing Jesus in the Bible, persevering until you see him. Is there someone you could share this journey with? There is no pass mark because Jesus has already passed you. Just do your best.