In Touch Devotional 24th February 2024 – Persuasion Through Love

In Touch Devotional 24th February 2024 Message by Dr. Charles Stanley

Read In Touch Devotional 24th February 2024 – Friday Daily Devotional Message Written by Dr. Charles Stanley

TOPIC: Persuasion Through Love

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 4:1-3

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

MESSAGE: Yesterday, we saw what it means to serve others. Today, let’s look at another spiritual gift—and here, too, Paul offers a simple definition: He says we exhort “in the work of exhortation” (Romans 12:8). The word comes from the Greek term parakaleó, which means “to call to or for,” “to encourage,” and even “to beg or entreat.”

Perhaps the best way to grasp what this word means is to look at it in action. In verse 2 of today’s passage, for instance, Paul tells Timothy, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.” Timothy was called to stay true to the faith and to teach others how to follow Christ.

It’s not fun to be corrected—or to do the correcting. But sometimes it’s necessary. How those words are delivered is just as essential as what’s said. That’s where parakaleó comes in. It’s as if Paul is telling Timothy, “Say what needs saying, but do it in a way that encourages your brothers and sisters. Speak kindly to them, call them away from sin, and invite them back to God’s grace.”

An exhorter, in short, is someone who persuades lovingly—who reproves with an eye toward the other person’s spiritual good. It’s a high calling indeed and an invaluable service to the church as a whole.

Bible in One Year: Deuteronomy 9-11

Thought for Today: Correction is best served with kindness, patience, and concern for the other person’s well-being.

Dr. Charles Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life