Have you ever had that sinking feeling of dread as you stood facing something that you were totally unprepared for? That test, that talk, that emergency, you felt like you had nothing to offer but panic. And why did you feel that way? Because you had not done what was needed to be ready for that moment. And it was an absolute disaster.

And when you made it through somehow, what did you promise yourself and everybody around you? “I’ll be ready next time.”

But what if you didn’t have to suffer that shame and were ready the first time? That was Apostle Paul’s prayer for young Pastor Timothy, and so he charged him from the very beginning in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” He’s saying, “Timothy, don’t wait. Prepare now so that when the time comes, you’ll experience success and never shame.”

Beloved, we should heed that wisdom. Even if we’re not a pastor, if we’re a Christian, we are workmen for God. At some point with somebody, we will have to rightly divide the Bible, which means to cut straight with other people what the Bible teaches. And rightly handling Scripture isn’t accidental. It’s earned through discipline: hours in the text, wrestling with context, listening to good teachers, memorizing passages, meditating, letting Scripture shape our thinking.

We must be ready. Neglected Bibles produce fumbling workmen who are dangerous to themselves and others. But faithful Bible study produces workers unashamed, precise, and ready.

Will you be prepared next time? I pray so.

May we labor daily in the Word, not for show but for skill, so that when truth is needed, we are ready to cut it rightly, bringing blessing to all who hear. May you never be an unprepared, ashamed worker for God.

Change begins in you!