Your Titus Moment

March 25, 2021 | by Stephen G Law | 5 Min Read | 0 Comment

Saying "Yes" to the Difficult Thing in Front of You

For most of my life, I wanted to be a pastor. I entertained some other occupational ideas at various points, but in the end, getting paid to preach, pray, lead, and care for people seemed almost too good to be true. So, when I graduated from college and was hired by my church to work in youth ministry, I was ecstatic.

In the first few years on staff, I got to do the stuff I dreamed about, but there were also much less glamorous moments. For example, for every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening youth meeting, I was tasked with putting up and taking down a giant ten-foot sign. Regardless of the rain, wind, snow, or cold, that sign had to be set up and taken down. This task was maddening because I felt it was beneath me. It seemed pointless-- certainly it had no bearing on my future aspirations! At times, I wondered if I could escape some of the more monotonous tasks like setting up and tearing down a sign. Maybe I’d be happier somewhere else or in a different role?

Judging from the frustrations I often hear from young adults I now pastor, I know I'm not alone in what I felt. "I'm looking for a new job,” seems to be the most common update I hear from adults in their 20s and 30s. While every person has a unique reason for their dissatisfaction, the common thread usually is that they don't see how the challenges they now face relate to their career and life ambitions. They can’t imagine how an irritating co-worker, monotonous work tasks, or long, strenuous hours could possibly aid them in their career path.

Titus

Titus was no stranger to undesirable tasks. Considered by the Apostle Paul to be his "child in the faith," Titus had a promising future. I can imagine he dreamed of being like his spiritual father, traveling the known world, preaching, leading, and leaving his mark. However, his first ministry assignments were far from appealing.

First, Paul charged Titus to go to Corinth and deliver a letter. The letter was Paul’s attempt to smooth things over after the Corinthians had rejected him (2 Corinthians 2:3-4). If the Corinthians had rejected the famed, gifted Apostle Paul, why would they receive Titus? Later, Titus was again sent by Paul to pick up a financial gift for the needy church in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8:11). Essentially, Titus was asked to be a delivery boy.

These were hardly two assignments that an up-and-coming young minister would dream about! Yet, Titus embraced these two missions wholeheartedly. The Corinthians received Titus well during his first visit (2 Corinthians 7:13). The letter he carried paved the way for them to realize their error in rejecting Paul.

⁸For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us (2 Corinthians 7:8–9)

Titus’s willingness to deliver Paul’s letter was crucial for the Corinthians’ and Paul’s relationship to be restored.

Paul, Titus’s boss (so to speak) gives thanks for Titus's heart posture in completing these tasks,

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. ¹⁷For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord (2 Corinthians 8:16-17).

Why would Titus accept these two unappealing assignments? I believe Titus saw saying, "yes" to the difficult tasks before him as saying, "yes" to God. He accepted the responsibilities before him as part of God’s plan.

Furthermore, God gave Titus the earnest care that he needed for his jobs. Titus didn’t go to Corinth begrudgingly. Drawing from the heart God gave him for the Corinthians, Titus was enthusiastic about going.

Saying, "Yes" to the difficult assignment proved crucial for Titus's long-term calling. Eventually God called Titus to Crete, an island with people considered to be, "liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons" (Titus 1:12-13) — not exactly a warm, responsive audience for his message. Yet the humility God produced in Titus by accepting the earlier, difficult assignments helped to prepare him for this moment. God had given him a heart for the Corinthians; he had practice in loving difficult people. Church history tells us that Titus had a very significant ministry in Crete, ultimately becoming the island's bishop.

Your Difficult "Yes"

There are some powerful principles we can derive from Titus's service. First, God uses the difficult aspects of a job to produce something in us. He often uses an overbearing boss, long hours, low pay, a passed over promotion, or a gossiping co-worker to mold our character to reflect His.

Second, when God places us in a difficult position, He wants to give us His heart for the people or assignment at hand. We don’t need to simply endure a job or immediately leave to find something that will make us happier. If He has called us to something, and if we ask Him, He will give us the same earnestness that Titus had.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to change jobs. Perhaps God might be leading you to something new.

But if your desire for new scenery is less about God's leading and more about avoiding difficulty, stop and consider: might this be your Titus moment?

If God is calling you to stay, your "yes" to the difficult thing in front of you is a "yes" to Him. Once you give Him your "yes," trust that He will put into your heart the compassion, patience, and humility you need to do the job.

Saying "yes" to God may mean a Crete is waiting for you…

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About the Author

Stephen G Law

Described as a faithful pastor, insightful author, and loyal friend, Stephen G. Law has become a trusted voice of faith in today's culture. He is the lead pastor at Grace Covenant Church Capitol Hill in the Washington, D.C. and co-founder of Be A Man.