Do as I Do

1Timothy 4:6-16  If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed.  Have nothing to do with profane myths and old wives' tales. Train yourself in godliness,  for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.  The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance.   For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.  These are the things you must insist on and teach.  Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.  Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.  Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Timothy (Τιμόθεος), which means “honouring God”, becomes a student of Paul in Lystra in Anatolia. [1] It would seem that he is walking in the faith-footsteps of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Louis.[2]  In this passage he is reminded that, like his mother and grandmother, he is in turn setting an example for other people to follow:

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

 Here is a healthy reminder to all who read this passage: our words and actions matter! We who claim the name of Jesus become a public witness to our beliefs. We are being watched and weighed, and ought therefore to live in a way that points beyond ourselves to the One who has called us.

For Thought

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
― Brennan Manning

 

Prayer    

Speak to me by name, O Master,
Let me know it is to me;
Speak, that I may follow faster,
With a step more firm and free,
Where the Shepherd leads the flock
In the shadow of the Rock!
Lyrics: Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Third Sunday after Trinity

33 Christian Maturity
The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 207.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.

 

 

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[1] Acts 16:1

[2] 2 Timothy 1:5