Looking for Titus - Larry R Taylor

Looking for Titus - Larry R Taylor

People who make the difference

“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.”

2 Corinthians 2:12 NKJV

There are people who make the difference. Titus was one of those people

There are a cadre of men associated with the ministry of Paul the Apostle. Each uniquely contributed to the growth of the early Church both in numbers and character. Timothy gets a lot of attention as does Barnabas and even the contentious John Mark. Titus is distinctive but often overlooked.

Paul surprisingly admits that though a door was opened by the Lord for him to minister in Troas, he couldn’t find rest there without Titus. So strong was the bond between this father in the faith and his son that it drew Paul away from a fruitful field to the unknown in Macedonia just to find Titus.

To the religious “ought to” mind-set, this may seem unfathomable. Paul “ought to” have had his priorities straight. He “ought to” have suffered through and pressed on to complete the work in Troas. He “ought to” have put his own feelings and needs aside and gone for the “greater good”. But he didn’t and there is the lesson for us.

There is a need for a Titus in all of us. If we are to continue in the calling of God as ministers of the gospel then there has to be the inward recognition that we can’t do it alone. There must be the understanding that there are key individuals placed in our lives by God that are a part of the motivating force that moves us forward to completion in our kingdom purposes.

Paul was troubled by the absence of Titus. For whatever reason, he needed his brother in the faith there in order to effectively continue. Without him, he had to leave. Again, our religious friends would say to us in a similar situation to “suck it up” and keep going. But in the understanding of the early Fathers, relationship was essential.

A number of years ago I was leading a group in establishing a new fellowship. Our first year or so went very well. We were growing in numbers, we had obtained and remodeled a facility and things looked good. Then it happened. Two of the key families in the fellowship got new jobs in a different city and moved. We tried to continue on thinking that no one person should be the key to a churches existence. Unfortunately, the “umph” just wasn’t there anymore. There were still good and committed people in the group, it just seemed that with the departure of these two families, the heart, soul and vision for the new work left with them.

As Pastor, I should have “manned up” and carried on. I did try. But the realization began to hit me that without these co-workers who carried the same vision and passion for the church that I did, I couldn’t carry on as before. I had to admit that I needed them, not just anyone, but the specific families that left. They were friends, confidants, encouragers and supporters. Their stature and people skills made up for deficiencies in my own makeup. Their leadership in exhorting and encouraging the others was essential in validating the directions that I felt led by God to pursue. You can object all you want and say we shouldn’t be “codependent” and rely on others to that degree, but the truth is we all do. And when leaders try to go it alone and accomplish their goals in isolation there is a dryness of soul that eventually becomes toxic.

Paul and Titus shared a common passion for the King and the Kingdom. Their hearts were knit together by their desire to see the Body of Christ fully mature and fully functioning. But there was also the inescapable personal dimension. The interpersonal dynamic was established in the Spirit, strengthened in ministry and hardened in resisting religious pressure to conform to the the demands of the legalist. They had been through it together.

I believe that many today are on a search for Titus without even realizing it. We have whole movements within The Church that are dedicated to fostering Apostolic, father/son relationships. There are accountability groups and “covering” councils abounding. Occasionally, true relationship happens.

There are at least two lessons to be drawn here. First, we all need a Titus. Not some artificially chosen person who meets our institutional requirements, but a relationship truly born of the Spirit and nurtured by the love of God that motivates us to overcome whatever resistance encountered in carrying out the purposes of God. Second, we are called to be a Titus for many who will give up without our input, encouragement and “just hang’n out”.

There are people who make the difference. You are one.