When the apostle Paul realized his time on earth was coming to an end, he wrote to his dear ministry partner Timothy the following words:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. . . . Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:2, 5)

I recently watched as my mother-in-law faced her own death. I watched her bless my children and her children. It was such a beautiful way to step into eternity.

It’s a humbling thing to go through the transitions of life. Often they are messy and emotional. And a whole lot of times when we’re smack dab in the middle, it can be hard to put our thoughts into words. Paul didn’t seem to have that problem, and he made his words count. It’s such a beautiful reminder to me.

So many words are spoken without thinking. We rush through our days without sending a text, without telling the people around us how much they mean to us, without taking the time to think about the people who might need a word of encouragement or a prayer or even just a hello.

I’ve been trying to be more deliberate to offer those things lately: I’ve made a point to meet people for coffee, to walk, to text the people I’m praying for. The last two nights I’ve had late-night phone calls from the same friend. When I hung up last night, I asked if we should schedule our next call for tonight, same time. We both laughed.

Life drags us all down. Some days are not fun. A little effort in the encouragement department can go a long way.

Appreciate the people around you for the way they added meaning to your life. You never know when it’s the last text, email, meeting they’ll attend. Be ready with a smile to meet the people who are frazzled and just trying to get through their day.

That’s what Paul was saying. Be prepared to step in. Be ready to tell people the truth when questions arise. Be ready to point people to the God of hope. Be ready.

It will only happen if we marinate in the Word so that the aroma follows us wherever we go.

If you start looking for people to encourage, I guarantee you will find them. If you are generous with your thanks, you just might make someone’s day. If you are patient when people don’t understand, they will come back with another question and another and another. And slowly you can teach them the things of God.

That’s how you do the work of an evangelist one person at a time. Day in and day out.