Keep Your Head In All Situations

2 Timothy 4:5
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

New Living Translation
But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

New King James Version
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

English Standard Version
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Christian Standard Bible
But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Contemporary English Version
But you must stay calm and be willing to suffer. You must work hard, telling the good news and to do your job well.

Good News Translation
But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances; endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the Good News, and perform your whole duty as a servant of God.

What does it mean to keep your head in all situations? Various English translations give us a clue as hinted above. Whatever it is, keeping your head in all situations is the prescription for success under all circumstances. Therefore what does it mean to you today?

Keep your head in all situations can be translated as having a clear mind. With so many distractions that can cause us to lose focus, we need a clear mind. It has also been translated as being watchful. Acting like a watchman to prevent an attack from bad elements. We need to watch out against many potential attacks on our faith, beliefs, peace, etc. It is being careful enough to detect danger and other threats so that you are not caught off guard. Keep your head in all situations!

Keep your head in all situations has also been translated as being sober. Sober is the opposite of drunk. We can be drunk with love, fear, hate, etc. Drunk people lack balance and easily fall, therefore be sober. Drunk people have poor judgment, therefore be sober. Could you be drunk with something? Keep your head in all situations!

Keep your head in all situations has also been translated as staying calm. Refuse to be disturbed and startled. When a shocking and destabilizing situation occurs, you refuse to react as expected and you stay calm. Staying calm is controlling your reaction to anything and everything. Situations and people will want you to react a certain way, but staying calm is refusing to be controlled by situations and people. Calm people muster difficulties in a much better way. Stay calm. Keep your head in all situations!

Keep your head in all situations has also been translated as self-control. Self-control is taking charge of your self. Making sure you do not lose the ability to determine responses and actions. Self-control is a response to situations and people that seek to control you against your wish. When anything and everything almost throws you out of balance, you need self-control. Pleasure and pain, good and bad can throw you out of balance, you need self-control. Keep your head in all situations!

Apostle Paul tells Timothy to keep his head in all situations. Paul tells him that this will enable him to (1) endure hardship (2) do the work of an evangelist and (3) discharge all his duties. Unless you keep your head in all situations you can’t do or achieve much. Unless you keep your head in all situations you can’t preserve difficulties. Unless you keep your head in all situations you can’t spread the gospel. Unless you keep your head in all situations you can’t discharge your duties. There is an urgent need for any of us and all of us to keep our heads in all situations!

The key reason behind our failure is the inability to keep our heads in all situations. We are stagnating in life because we are unable to keep our head in all situations. At the heart of our frustration and pain is the inability to keep our head in all situations. Hence the Apostolic command to all of us, keep your head in all situations!

Between me and excellence is the need to keep my head in all situations. My finances will get better, my relationship will grow, my studies will be a consistent success, my health will be good and my relationship with God will be strong, only if I learn and practice to keep my head in all situations. May God help us to keep our head in all situations, in Jesus’ name, Amen!