Kind of a strange, roundabout way to…

Ricky Ketchum

Apr 27, 2026

Help Cases of Urgent Need

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And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Titus 3:14 (ESV)

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Okay.

I get the connecting points between good works and fruitfulness.

I’ve certainly gone through enough verses and shared quite a few of those connecting ideas inside this newsletter over the past year.

But this “cases of urgent need” bridge in the middle seems out of place.

So, let’s tackle it.

My initial thinking when I encounter urgent needs is the emotional demand to drop everything and work to fix it right away.

In fact, so many people have a similar desire in such cases that there’s even a famous little booklet out there called The Tyranny of the Urgent. Which is all about the deception of always chasing urgent things instead of important ones.

Because often the urgent isn’t actually important, it just feels that way.

Fruitfulness and good works are spiritually important.

They require a long-term vision on what the Holy Spirit is doing around you and me.

Thus, they could sometimes clash with cases of urgent need.

My reading of this -- and I could be wrong, so take it with a grain of chili pepper -- is to focus on the fruit & good works and the urgent will basically take care of itself.

(While not literally true, I think you understand enough nuance to see the practical truth in that statement.)

But yes, kind of a strange, roundabout way to help cases of urgent need.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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