1 Corinthians Chapter 4: Verses 16-17 (NIV)
Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Job Chapter 1: Verse 8 (NIV)
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
Paul tells the Corinthian church that if they want to grow spiritually, they should imitate him. And he sends them Timothy as an example. Timothy was teachable; he grew by emulating Paul, so Paul sent him to show the Corinthians that it was possible to live as he said. Timothy was, in fact, a ‘live’ object lesson. That reminded me again of the theme of Sunday’s sermon, where Jesus asked Simon the Pharisee “have you seen this woman?” (Luke Chapter 7: Verse 44). But I was also reminded of what God said to Satan about Job. Job was held up again as a living object lesson.
That got me thinking? Can God say the same about me? Could I be an example, or a mentor for someone who is young in the faith, or who is seeking to find out more? I should be. And I have benefited from following the example of others. I don’t want people to look at me and say, “if that’s what it means to be a Christian, I’m not interested.”
Dear Lord, What a blessing Timothy was to Paul, and what an example of someone who listened and put into practice what he learned. May I in my turn emulate him. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.