Friends, today I would like to share with you some of the important instructions that apostle Paul passed to Timothy concerning how he should live his life and guide others around him. I believe these are very monumental and very practical that we should also apply to our lives in a daily manner. The order in which I listed these points are not the same order in the books of 1st and 2nd Timothy, rather in the order I think is very important.
Paul instructions to Timothy.
1. Pray for all people including leaders
We must pray daily consistently about all things and for all people.
We should pray about leaders and governments so that we can have peace and freedom to worship the Lord.
2. Believe God with all your heart
Paul emphasized that we should have good faith in the Lord since we cannot please God without one. Everything we do in the spiritual world is one way or another due to faith as we cannot see it with our eyes. Faith is assurance of something we hopped for and proof to our imagination that we cannot see or feel in the physical realm.
3. Live with Modesty and Simplicity
Paul mentioned that as Christians whose home is not in this world, we should not put to much attention to the glittering things of this world. Moreover, we should be very thoughtful about other people around us who are not fortunate enough to have material things like we have. We should not boast our selves more than what is necessary and become a burden to other people.
4. Respect the elders
Elders who have enough knowledge and experience in the house of the Lord may not need to be instructed or corrected as they know better.
5. Provide for the families and relatives
Paul put the issue of helping our families very crucial as this is mandatory for any Christian to do. He even compared a person who is not willing to help family while he can to a person who has abandoned his faith or even worse than this. That is how important this is.
Our parents raised us since we were 6 pounds. They changed our diapers, went through a lot of psychological, mental, physical, emotional pain just to raise us. It will be very cruel to abandon them when they need us most which is in their old age or due to illness,
6. Love others with good conscience
Good conscience is something we barely find now a days. It is nothing but positive mindset with no ill intentions. Good conscience is when we have a good intention towards others to be able to nurture, captivate and enrich other people lives no matter what the other person thinks or does. A person with good conscience never retaliates or conceive evil plans. He always forgives and forget and move on when bad things happen.
7. Be a good soldier for Christ
This is so important as we are all need to be loyal and good faithful servant and soldier for our Lord.
It always amazes me how a soldier is dedicated his own life for the sake of the country he or she serves.
Soldiers don’t have extra ambitions and purpose other than to defend their country. They lay down their life just to keep everyone safe and make them proud. We should act similarly as we too are soldiers of God’s army and kingdom.
8. Do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ
Under no circumstance should we be ashamed of the gospel.
It is the way of salvation for human beings and escape the wrath of God. It is also foolishness to those who will perish.
If we speak about the gospel in front of other people, Jesus will testify that to the father in judgment day. Otherwise, he won’t do it.
9. Be content with what you have
This is the key to a happy life. Making more money doesn’t make you happy. Only when you understand this principle that you will be happy. Paul said many tried to get rich, but they were pulled down and hurt themselves. Faith is not a way to get rich by craving for more but by making you fulfilled and satisfied with what you have. That does mean if we are rich then we are are sinners until we don’t know how to share for the poor. Which takes us to our next point.
10. Share with the poor
Sharing shows that you care and love others. Keeping money for yourself doesn’t say good things about you. We came into this world empty handed and we will go the same way we came here – empty handed. Not even one penny will be taken with us to heaven. Being rich is not a sin but being greedy is. Rich people should store their treasure in a place where thieves cannot steal it and moth cannot destroy it. And that my friend is when you give your money to the poor. That sounds foolish but is true. You cannot save your money in bank somewhere in this physical world and expect it to see it in the spiritual world. The spiritual world has principles as the physical world that we have to follow in order to operate on it and that is what Paul is teaching us here with the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit.
11. Pay your tithe
It is very necessary that we should contribute to our church using our gifts and talents. Paying our tithe and offering is one way of showing love for the servants of the Lord who are serving the church day and night diligently. Those people deserve to get paid even two folds as they have dedicated themselves for the sake of preaching the gospel. Young minsters sacrificed their youth and energy into something that is eternal and therefore they should be encouraged and supported both financially and emotionally when they need our help.
12. Use your time and money wisely
Time is one of the most precious gifts we have on this earth. We must be vigilant and use it wisely. Most resources can be acquired anytime but once you run out of time, it is impossible to get it back.
We all live only a limited amount of time on this earth, and we should plan it accordingly. We should prioritize what we need to accomplish each day, week, month, and year and so on.
The Bible gives us full of examples of individuals who have wasted their time on earth and regret it later.
The Bible says there is time for everything. Time for laugh and time for crying. Time for work and time for rest. Time for giving and time for receiving. Don’t waste your time with anything that is ungodly and may degrade your faith in Christ.
13. Use your money wisely
Money is also another important resource that is bestowed to you to manage and utilize is wisely.
In this aspect Paul advised to not waste our money on someone who can work but being simply dependent due to laziness.
Paul doesn’t encourage people who can work but are simply lazy to get help from church. These people are burden for the church. They are taking resource that should be given to other people who really need it. For example, Paul mentioned young widows should not be included as we must take care of old widow above the age of 60.
14. Use and guard your gifts wisely
We have participated in the glorious plan of God according to his love through Christ Jesus. The grace of our Lord was poured out on us abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
We partake from this heavenly gift, and we must use it for the benefit of humankind and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15. Expose false teaching including prosperity gospel
In this last days there are so many false teachers that are anointed by the devil to confuse God’s people from the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ.
On the other side the church is now filled with so many non-believers who call themselves “Christian” that are the breeding ground for false teachers as they encourage them to preach their non-sense. Paul mentioned that in the last days people doesn’t want to hear the true gospel but only that itches their ears which is filled with greediness, malice, distorted scriptures, pride, false prosperity, and so on.
16. Tell the truth with love
Because false teachers that always tries to capture people attention with deceitfulness and cunning mind, people are now tired of hearing the truth from the word of God that admonished and correct them and guide them to do good things. Therefore, as teachers of the word of God we have to be loving and caring when it comes to correcting others and cultivating them to be fruitful. Which leads us to the last but not least lesson we learn from this article
17. Be humble
Humility is the basis for a Christian living. God listens and speaks to a humble heart. God disgraces and breaks a proud person, nation, mankind... David was called “a man after God’s heart” because he always humbles himself in the eyes of God and lay dawn himself when it comes to serving other people or the King of kings.
People also listen to anyone who is humble. As teachers of the Word of God, we must humble ourselves under the power of the Almighty God and serve other as if we do all things to please Him.
May the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all the time
May he bless you with peace of mind and joy of the holy spirit.