Paul wrote these words to Timothy in his first letter to him: “Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:11-16)

Paul was like a father to Timothy. I bet he was a great mentor, cheering him on, encouraging him and speaking positively into his life. There is a hint in this passage that Timothy might have struggled with a lack of courage or confidence, but Paul knew him well enough to say, “don’t let anyone look down on you”.

One line that jumps out to me though is, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers”.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Any good pastor or Christian coach will want to say something like that: In other words, “Don’t let temptation overcome you. Walk away from the wrong people. Keep pressing into God. Keep believing. Keep loving those around you.” That’s the “watch your life” bit. Then, “Don’t neglect the reading of Scripture, listen to sound teaching. Let God’s Word challenge and change you.” That is, “Watch your doctrine!”

But Paul gives an unexpected reason: “if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers”. And your hearers. Don’t just do these things because they are good for you, Timothy. Your life and doctrine affect those around you too.

It strikes me that this is probably true for you and me as well. Our lives and what we believe are not just personal choices. They profoundly touch the lives of those we live in close proximity to – our choices and beliefs affect our loved ones, they influence our work mates, and they rub off on our friends.

Perhaps this adds a new incentive to watching our lives and watching our doctrine. We are not islands. Like it or not, the cords that bind us to those around us also transport our values and attitudes. What connects us can inspire for good or drag down for evil.

Let’s be careful how we live our lives and preserve sound doctrine, not just because it is the right thing to do, and not primarily because of the health and blessing we are likely to receive as a result. No! let’s do it because we care how our lives affect others. Let’s watch our lives and doctrine closely for the sake of those around us.

“… everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:12-17)

This is Paul writing to his younger friend and fellow minister of the Gospel, Timothy. A few verses later he adds, “Preach the word!”

In other words … You have learned the truth, Timothy. You are convinced of it. You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were young. They led you to salvation, they birthed faith in your heart, they drew you to Jesus. The Scriptures come from the very mouth of God, they are literally God-breathed and are powerful for teaching, refuting error, training, forming righteousness in you and in every hungry soul. They are more than enough to prepare you for service. The Scriptures will equip you. No! More than that, you will be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Scriptures are God’s Word. Preach the Word, Timothy! Memorise it, soak it up, then speak it out. Give it away! Be generous with God’s Word.

The are many ways to preach God’s Word and you don’t need to be a trained professional to do it. The Greek word translated as “preach” simply means to “to proclaim, to tell”, but with an urgency wanting others to accept the message. Proclaiming the Gospel is not the same as suggesting a good idea, rather it challenges the mind, convicts the heart and demands a response.

And it doesn’t need a platform or a gifted orator to do its work. God’s Word can unleash its power one friend to another. It can enter the heart of a stranger on the train, and it can slowly grow and create brand new baby-like faith in that relative you have been praying for since you don’t know when.

Because the Scriptures are God-breathed, they don’t depend on our skills or lack of them to accomplish their purpose. They simply journey and bear their fruit on the back of faith and obedience.

Preach the Word, child of God. First read it, soak it up. Make it part of you; allow it into you, invite it to be part of you. To form you, shape you, equip you. Then give it away. Share His Word like it’s the cure for every disease known to man. Proclaim it with conviction. Urgency. Preach it.

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he goes on to warn that, “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim 4:3-4).

The opportunities to share God’s Word with this or that person may not always be there. So let’s take them as God provides them before they disappear.

Preach the Word!

In the book of Genesis, a pregnant slave called Hagar was running away from her slave-owner Sarai who had been cruel towards her. The Lord sent an angel.

Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

The angel of the LORD also said to her:

“You are now pregnant

and you will give birth to a son.

You shall name him Ishmael,

for the LORD has heard of your misery.

He will be a wild donkey of a man;

his hand will be against everyone

and everyone’s hand against him,

and he will live in hostility

toward all his brothers.”

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16: 9−13

A well was dug at that place called “Beer Lahai Roi” meaning “well of the Living One who sees me”.

There is a beautiful moment in the Hollywood movie Avatar. Neytiri, the Na’vi warrior and princess of Pandora recognises the call and destiny of the movie’s hero, Jake Sully, the one she has been falling in love with. She says to him, “I see you!” meaning “I understand you; I see into your heart”. “I know who you are.”

Hagar must have felt very alone when she was running away from Sarai. Perhaps she even thought God had abandoned her. After all, Sarai and her husband Abram were recipients of the promises of God. God had spoken to them, and they were prosperous by His hand. Hagar had effectively run away from the people of God’s favour. Why would God care about her?

But God hadn’t forgotten her. He had seen her in the desert. He had seen her in her sadness, and after the angel spoke to her with instructions and promises, she could encourage herself with a new truth in her experience: ‘God sees me, too’; “I have now seen the One who sees me.”

Perhaps we can draw comfort from these words too. Maybe nobody was watching when that guy treated you unkindly, or when you were passed over again for that promotion. Perhaps no other soul was aware of how alone you felt the other day, and no-one can possibly understand the ordeal you have just been through.

But He sees you. And understands you and knows you. And He loves you. The One who, at times, may appear to only bless others, sees you too. Maybe like Hagar, we too can pray, “You are the God who sees me.”

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (1 Thess 1: 4 – 7)

The Thessalonians imitated Paul. They likely saw and heard every (or most) parts of his life as he “lived among them”. In fact, even though the message of Jesus was costly to them causing severe suffering by those who would persecute them, something about the lives of Paul and his team touched and inspired them deeply.

Paul is quick to point out the Holy Spirit’s role in their conversation and subsequent living. The presence of the Spirit was proof of God’s choosing and the joy in their hearts, despite daily hardships, was powerful evidence of God’s grace upon them.

But Paul also recognises that his life and example has influenced them. The Thessalonians imitated Paul. Yes, they sought to imitate the Lord, as Paul taught them about the life of Jesus, but they imitated him, (and his companions Silas and Timothy) too. They welcomed Paul’s message, his teaching and tried to live how they lived.

The Thessalonian believers then modelled Godly lives and Paul’s teaching to “all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.”

This is quite profound and hugely challenging, especially if we ask, “is anybody imitating me as a representative of Jesus?” Is anybody watching the way we live and wanting to copy it to the glory of God? Are you, am I inspiring others, who in turn will inspire still more to follow Jesus?

Well, before we dive into a hole of discouragement, perhaps we can take a step back and ask who is influencing you? Who is influencing me?

Is it popular culture? My sporting hero, or that person on social media? Is the TV or the internet influencing me? Perhaps the primary question to ask is “am I following Jesus”? Paul said, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3: 8). To him, knowing Jesus was the most important thing. Jesus wasn’t just an influencer to Paul, he was everything. No wonder Paul could confidently write to the Thessalonians about the fact that they imitated him. Because he wanted them to imitate Jesus. He sought to live as an example of his saviour, so that they might be inspired by a visible example of a life submitted to Christ.

So, if we want to inspire others, if we want to model a godly life, then let’s ask ourselves this: are you living a life submitted to Jesus? If we are seeking to do that, then that is, surely, the best way to become a model to others.

The LORD our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighbouring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the LORD swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.” (Deut 1: 6 – 8)

I wonder if God is saying that to you: “you have stayed in this place long enough and it’s time to move on. Go in and take possession of the land”.

Now, of course, there are times to “hang in there”, persevere with people or situations, and there are seasons when we must wait on the Lord. God is not in a hurry, and to walk away from a challenge or a difficult set of circumstances might not be the right thing to do. God may want us to go through it and grow through it.

But there are also times to leave and take possession somewhere else. How might we discern the difference?

Obviously, there isn’t a “cookie-cutter” answer to that question, but perhaps there are some clues in today’s verses.

First, God’s people knew there was a big picture. A bigger picture than living next to a mountain. They were called to the Promised Land, not Mt Horeb. The mountain was always going to be temporary. Perhaps there are moments when it is appropriate to pray, “Lord, what is the big picture of your will for me? Have I become too comfortable where I am? Have I completed all the work you called me to do here? Is there a further horizon I must walk towards?”

Second, and related to the first, what has God already given you that you are not living in the good of? A calling or a sense of something more. What have you not yet taken possession of? The Lord said, “see I have given you this land. Go in and take possession…” Perhaps you have a talent that you can’t use where you are. Perhaps you have a sense of call that is not realised where you are currently serving. It might be that doors are closed at your own Mt Horeb that prevent you from improving and growing.

Within his sovereign purposes, God has a destiny for each one of us. Staying where we are when we need to embrace the challenges of leaving and moving forward may prevent us from experiencing the blessings that he has planned for us. It takes courage to listen to the voice that says, “it is time to break camp and advance”. But there is no other way to get to the Promised Land.

For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Tim 1: 6 – 8)

I wonder if Timothy was ever afraid to “stand up and be counted”. These words from Paul to his protégé can feel quite confronting. Don’t be timid. Don’t be ashamed or afraid of being associated with me. Don’t hold back from proclaiming the truth of Jesus. Join me in the suffering that will come as a result.

This second personal letter to the young leader feels like a serious moment in Timothy’s life where Paul calls him to take a moment and count the cost for present and future ministry. Count the cost of a life dedicated to following Christ. Paul repeats the challenge in the next chapter: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2: 15). “Be strong” (2: 1), “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus”. (2: 3).

As uncomfortable as it is, perhaps we all need moments like that. Moments to reflect on our journey in God. Moments to remember that we too have the Spirit of God - a Spirit of power, love and self-discipline. That we are not alone. That timidity is not a gift of the Holy Spirit. That we are here to testify about him. To tell others about him, whatever the cost.

It is recorded, not in the bible but in other ancient texts, that later in life, when Timothy was about 80 years old, he tried to stop a public procession of the false god, Diana, by preaching the Gospel. The angry worshippers of Diana, beat him and dragged him through the streets, until finally stoning him to death. Timothy had found his courage and was not afraid to face death for his Lord.

Some say that young people today have less resilience to social pressures compared to previous generations. That may or may not be true, but at the end of the day, we all face the same choice as to what we say about our beliefs and where our loyalties lie. Are we ashamed of our Lord, afraid to speak of our faith in him, or do we welcome him into our lives in full view of others? Do we hide him away or do we proudly hold him close in public?

We don’t know if there will be suffering as a result. But we don’t do it alone. God has given us the Spirit of power and love. If a timid Timothy can speak of Jesus in front of an angry mob, maybe you and I can take a few steps today to leak out words of truth and actions of love to a world around us that is desperately in need.

Everyone thought they would fail.

Within weeks of Paul and his team arriving in Thessalonica with the good news of Jesus, those who had come to faith were left without leaders, facing persecution and under intense pressure to recant their faith.

Paul, Silas and Timothy had been forced to leave. Those opposed to this new Christian faith had persuaded some local troublemakers to stir up the assembled crowd with lies about the team. They had no choice but to go.

Paul was desperate to return. “When we were torn away from you for a short time… out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you” (1 Thess 2: 17). However, for reasons unclear, they weren’t able to get back until Timothy finally made the journey on his own.

In an age with no mobile phones or internet connection, the wait for news must have been excruciating. Had the church survived the persecution? Were they still meeting? With the longest standing church members barely a few weeks old in the faith on the day Paul and the team left, did they have any leaders? Who was taking care of these baby Christians?

Eventually Timothy returned with the welcome news that the church had indeed survived and their faith was still strong. The young Christians were standing firm despite the challenges around them, but that wasn’t all. To Paul’s joy and amazement, not only were the Thessalonian believers still meeting as a church, but they were reaching out to their local community, to the wider area and even beyond. In fact, their passion for evangelism was the talk of the town for miles around.

What was their secret?

In the same first letter to the Thessalonians we get some insights: The baby Christians knew they were chosen by God; the gospel had made a deep impact in their lives; and they had experienced God’s supernatural power. None of them had been mentored with leadership skills, none of them could boast any kind of spiritual heritage, but despite their lack of knowledge and training, God used them.

If we were to look for examples of spiritual maturity in the pages of the New Testament, we might point to well-known characters like Paul, or Peter, or those trained under them; those who have been faithful in serving God over many years, in which case you can forget the Thessalonians. They don’t qualify.

And yet Paul tells us they had become a model church to all others within hundreds of miles.

Now, I don’t want to minimise the importance of education, training and the maturity that comes with years of serving God, but maybe we can learn from young Christians too; especially those who have experienced God’s love and power and the deep impact of the Gospel.

Who is he talking to? It sounds like he is talking to himself!

Psalm 103, starts off with a short phrase that is often repeated in other Psalms: ‘Praise the Lord, my soul.’ The author says it again in verse 2, ‘Praise the Lord, my soul.’ And again, at the end of the psalm.

King David, who wrote these words, also wrote Psalm 57 and there is similar language here: ‘Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn’ (57: 8). David is telling himself to wake up and give glory to God.

He’s talking to himself.

My wife and I were chatting one time about how different people are and how those differences can often boil down to personality type – just one way that God has made each of us unique. However, we are also part of a fallen human race and in the process of being renewed. Not everything that makes me, me is necessarily as God intended. We all have a mixture of positive attributes in our personalities and negative ones that are yet to be made transformed.

For example, some of us will naturally have a more positive outlook than others. Others, not so. My personality type is melancholic which, according to some studies describes someone who is analytical (yep, that’s true), task orientated (tick), self-motivated (yes), a perfectionist (oh dear), but can be quite shy and ‘deep’; and with a tendency to want to hide away occasionally. Actually, for some, discouragement, even depression is part of the story and can hit hard. But, hey, us melancholics can be really creative!

Without Christ, I would quite easily see the negative in most situations, but when I read the Bible, I don’t think I am alone. Look at the way David expresses himself in Psalm 13:

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and day after day have sorrow in my heart” (Psalm 13: 1 – 2)

When we read David’s soul-bearing poetry, some of it makes me wonder if he might have been a melancholic too. We don’t know of course but, if that is true, then he has got something important to say in this space: talk to yourself! When discouragement sets in, when there’s sorrow in your heart, speak to your soul!

Our souls are fragile. We were once spiritually dead in our sins, but through Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection we have been ‘made alive’ (Eph 2: 1, 5). Now we are on the path of transformation, but we are still subject to temptation, discouragement, and spiritual attack.

For every Christian, there are times when we are tempted to dwell on the negative – and every personality type has a bad day. Perhaps those are the moments God would have us look in the mirror and talk to our inner selves: “Awake! Come on! Today is a new day and we are going to praise God and trust him!”

This devotion is one of many you can find in my book Bite-size Devotions for the Busy Christian, published by Kharis Publishing and available through any Amazon website.