When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers  (1 Corinthians 16:10-11).

Peter seems to have been kind of a forceful guy.

James and John…well they had the nickname Sons of Thunder, so there’s that.

Paul was certainly not afraid to bring the hammer.

Timothy…well it seems he was kind of timid. 

In Paul’s letters to Timothy we see that he was devout, but young and given to anxiety. I think that Timothy was perhaps the kind of man that many would ignore.

But Paul saw the Spirit of God at work in Timothy, and he wasn’t going to let anyone, not even Timothy himself, get in the way of the Lord’s ministry through him. Paul is protective, even fatherly, toward his young friend, and he makes it clear that he expects the Corinthians to look out for him.

Two things…no, three things: 

First, I want someone like that in my life. I want a mentor who will encourage me, strengthen me, and point me toward my destiny in Christ.

Second, I want to be someone like that in the life of another.

Third, I love that, through Timothy, God reminds us that he uses all sorts of people. You don’t need to be charismatic or dynamic or a social powerhouse. You can speak softly, so long as you speak for Him.

So you don’t have to be Paul, or Peter, or even Timothy.

You just have to be you, but be you for him.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved