Exposition:
Being an approved workman requires much more than the ordinary. Paul wanted Timothy to understand that to be a workman that God could approve of, he needed to be diligent in his service to God. God is not the kind of Master that accepts shoddy work. By earnestly applying himself in service through studies, Timothy would not need to be ashamed as he stood before God in the Day of Judgment as it happened to the nonchalant servant.
The Saviour’s parable of the talents is so applicable to you at this stage in your life. He knows there are differences between each of you intellectually, emotionally, and physically. The Lord only expects you to magnify and develop the talents and abilities you have been given. But He also expects you to be accountable for your actions in so doing.
Take control of your actions and prepare to succeed at whatever you are capable of doing. Failure is not absolute. Samuel Beckett wrote: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.