If I were Timothy #10: a call to enjoy life
Who Was Timothy?
Timothy is a Greek name which means ‘honouring God’ or ‘honoured by God’.
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. Acts 16:1
After Paul had visited Lystra, Timothy became his companion and co-worker along with Silas. Timothy then travelled around with Paul, who became his mentor. Paul trusted him to carry out important work.
But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. Philippians 2:22
If I were Timothy, I would be blown away to receive this letter from Paul. After all, I’d been at his side as he’d written the letters to Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians. But these letters were addressed to groups of believers and not an individual like myself. I’d be even more amazed to discover that two letters addressed to me would end up in this collection of books people would come to know as the Bible!
Yes, Paul and I were close. He was like a father to me. But I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t do. I served God in the best way I could. That’s it. It wasn’t easy at times, but I looked to Paul for guidance and support – and what a man Paul is!
Passage From The Letter
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all. 1 Timothy 6:11-21
If I were Timothy, this is how I would reply to this section of the the letter…
I should expected this bit – all your letters wind up with a long list of final instructions, don’t they? I love it! There’s not beating around the bush: it’s like ‘well, before I go, here are a few more things…..BAM!’
You’re right. There is only one fight to fight. I don’t need to get caught up in petty disagreements. All I have to focus on is guarding what has been entrusted to me: the truth, the teaching, the revelation of the one true God. I have no control over who leaves and who stays: all I can go is preach Jesus.
I don’t often feel worthy to be called ‘man of God’ – maybe none of us do. But that’s what we are, isn’t it? And if we truly took on that identity and lived fully as men and women of God, imagine what our lives would look like then! I have a feeling we’d see a lot more righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness then. I was called to this. I was born for this. To live now in the presence of the one true God with whom I will be spending eternity.
And what a God He is! What a God we serve! It’s good to be reminded of that. This God who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, who invites us to live life to the full with Him and to join Him in the work of His kingdom here on earth – wow!
Paul, I’m going to have to work at this ‘Command’ thing. I guess you know that already and that’s why you keep repeating it! I’m not good at commanding anyone to do anything – who am I to do that? And yet as a messenger of God’s word, yes, I see that i can be a mouthpiece. His words of truth, not my mere opinion.
Finally – and this is a great place to finish my reply to you – it struck me how enjoyment is very much part of taking hold of the life that is truly life. This life is to be enjoyed to the full and the best way to do that is to live as we were created to live. The life of the believer is not to be seen as a life of deprivation and denial, far from it. It might look like that to those who believe they have the freedom to do whatever they want but in reality, how many of those people have become enslaved to the very things they pursue? Living life God’s way is to be embraced and enjoyed and I intend to do just that!
And so grace be with you too.
For it is only by grace that we are here, only by grace that we can do any of this, only by grace can we enter fully into the wonderful life that God has prepared for us.
