Faithfulness forever
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Owen Lynch:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I like the faithfulness that Paul demonstrates in his letter to Timothy.
He is close to the end of his life (4:6) and he sounds tired and weary - weary of being deserted by so many people (1:15), weary of being imprisoned like a criminal (2:9), weary of the sectarian conflict that he has waged with people who have opposed him for 25 years (2:17-18, 3:8 and 3:11-13, 4:14), weary of some of his leaders who lack character and perseverance (3:6-7), weary of people who do not want to hear the truth of the gospel (4:4), weary of struggling on without his team around him (4:9-12), weary of the cold (4:13).
There is no doubt to me that Paul endured almost constant suffering, opposition and hardship from the moment he had his Damascus road experience, right up until he died. He was never shy of telling other people how much he suffered for the sake of the gospel of Jesus. But he was also never shy about testifying to how much Jesus strengthened him to endure and persevere (4:10-11, 17-18).
And this letter is all about encouraging Timothy to do exactly the same (4:5). He tells Timothy to expect hardship and suffering, because if Paul’s experience is anything to go by, then it’s coming Timothy’s way (3:1)! But Paul doesn’t just leave it there, he packs his letter with practical advice and emotional encouragement.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
It reminds me that just like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus is built on faithfulness. We can take the faithfulness of Jesus to us as a given. He has been, he is now, and he will always be faithful to you and faithful to me. Paul’s example of faithfulness to Jesus is extraordinary. In simple practical terms, it is unlikely any of us will endure the level of suffering as a result of the gospel that he did - thank goodness! But, the quality of our relationship with Jesus will always be affected by our own willingness to be faithful day by day.
This lockdown has helped us to identify three priorities that we can focus on to help us be faithful to Jesus:
commitment to our own spiritual and emotional health
commitment to our family and neighbours
commitment to help others we don’t know who are in need.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I am going to be more faithful to those three priorities in my daily life.
Who am I going to share this with?
During this four-week lockdown I’m going to spend more time with my family and help out regularly at the Foodbank.