True & Beautiful Things About the Bible--New Testamentনমুনা

The Letter of 1 Timothy: Mentors, Friends, and Protégés

The books of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are called “pastoral epistles” because they are letters from one old pastor to two young pastors on how to set up and lead a church.

But the story under the church story is the relationship itself. Paul wrote 13 of the New Testament books and mentioned Timothy by name almost 30 times. This young protégé was important to him. And it’s easy to imagine just how defining Paul’s mentorship was in Timothy’s life.

Our relationships shape what kind of person we will be—and what kind of ministry we’ll have. It’s the daily stuff of life that teaches us, sometimes more than the formal. We might be impressed by someone from a distance, but they can only impact us up close.

If we want to follow Jesus and develop the beautiful life He’s given us, then we need three types of relationships.

1. We need someone like 'Paul' who can mentor us. Their model means more than the age difference. Are they living the type of life we want? More than a teacher who passes along what they know, a mentor reproduces who they are. That happens with time, questions, and observation.

2. We also need a 'Barnabas'—not mentioned here in 1 Timothy, but elsewhere we see how Barnabas walked alongside Paul through some of the greatest adventures in Acts. They had the give-and-take of a partnership. They were great friends with great stories and hopefully some fun, too.

3. We need a 'Timothy,' usually someone younger, whom we can pour our lives into. You notice what they’re doing right and affirm them. You look for gaps and try to fill them in with honest, true evaluation and vulnerable conversations. Your goal is to help and build up.

Relationships take work. And no one really tells you how to do it or how to give them the priority they deserve. Every relationship will have its own rhythm and its own season. Few last a lifetime, but they’re important for that day.

If you have these three relationships, then praise God for them and tell them today how grateful you are for them. Don’t wait for the eulogy.

Mentors, friends, and protégés are how we grow and how God imparts godliness of a unique flavor.

·Whose example is influencing your life?

·Who do you walk with around the block and through the hardest times of life right now?

·In whose life are you playing a helpful role?

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