Thursday: Time to shine

Timothy was handed another project. Paul handed over to him a mission to help a church that Paul planted. Timothy is now in the big leagues doing work often done by an apostle. There is question on whether Timothy was a pastor or an apostolic representative. For sure we can say that Paul handed the torch off to Timothy.

Daily faithfulness
Read Acts 16 and you will see our introduction to Timothy. He was so faithful in following Jesus that when Paul came to his hometown, the people brought his name up. Timothy’s faithfulness where he was at allowed him other opportunities to serve Jesus. What can we learn from this? My faithfulness to the mission where I am now can largely determine what God will do next.

Shown the way
Paul took Timothy with him. This gave him a front row seat in how to do ministry, plant churches, be a peacemaker, teach sound doctrine, etc. The book of 1 Timothy gives more instructions on how to accomplish the task set before him, but Timothy was locked and loaded to go. What can we learn from this? We need to be discipling others to accomplish the ministry God calls them to.

On target
For a church and a Christian to stay on target we must be faithful to what God calls us to and be vigilant in making disciples. Straying from these will leave a mess. It is hard for God to move you if you’re not going anywhere. It is hard to make disciples if you’re not actively pursuing God. Timothy lived a life that stayed on target and he was afforded the opportunity to help others with what they were aiming for.

Happily ever after is…
Let’s be honest, the end of a good Christian story is not “and they lived happily ever after.” The end of a good Christian story is “and he jumped into another mess to help people out.” People often think of Timothy as some weakling. While he struggled with his health, he was a man of courage. The missions Paul sent him on were no cake walks. The challenge set before him in 1 Timothy was huge. What can we learn from this? We need to drop the happily ever after goal and move to who I can help next mindset.

Journalling questions:
Journaling is a good tool to process what we are learning and going through. It is not about being right as much as processing. (Remember, we’ll be perfect when we see Jesus face to face. Until then, working towards being like Jesus is the goal!) Take time to journal your answers or ponder them:

1. How am I being faithful to the mission I’m in right now?
2. Who am I discipling so they can do the mission God calls them to?
3. What is my current target, is it what Jesus wants me to pursue?