The Timothys are here!!!

We have been reading the book of Timothy over the past few days. As I meditate on the ministry and instruction in this book I stop to ponder over a few things.

Are there Timothys still today? Do we have Pauls around us still? And my third question is personal, which one of these two do I want to be like.

I believe Timothy’s today are around, but they are few in number. Timothy was a disciple of Paul. He was willing to follow Paul in every way. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:17 that Timothy is like a son to him, who is dearly loved and most faithful. Faithfulness underscored the life of Timothy. He was willing to travel with Paul any and everywhere, he had no qualms about being a servant and embarking on errand missions for Paul, and most importantly when asked to be circumcised he freely did it. For Timothy, nothing was too difficult to do when it came to following after God. He respected the authority God had placed in his leader Paul, and obeyed him. He followed Paul, as Paul followed after Christ.

In our self-motivated, fast paced, materialistic world, I believe the Paul’s are also rare. This is because to be like Paul, one needs to be selfless, and intentionally reach out to the younger spiritual ones. Disicpling a younger believer is hard work, and many are simply discouraged by the sheer difficulty. It takes a visionary like Paul who having the heart of Christ realizes that to save the world, we need spiritual children. Investing in others benefits the kingdom, as these new believers grow up and take off from where we as their mentors stop.

Personally, I would like to be more like both Paul and Timothy. Timothy teaches me to be more submissive, be a better follower, and intensify my walk with God. Paul helps me to understand that I can’t run this race myself, and that I need believers around me who as I empower them via God’s grace will do immensely more than I can ever hope to achieve.