"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:1-7).
Paul referred to Timothy as his dearly beloved son. Timothy was not his biological son. He was his son in the faith. Paul brought Timothy to faith in Christ and felt a special love and responsibility to care for his soul. He took the time to write letters to him and when he had the opportunity he took time to visit him and encourage him in the Lord. In addition he prayed continually on his behalf. Timothy had great potential in the Lord but he also battled with feelings of fear and inadequacy. But Paul reminded him, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7).
Like Paul do you have a son or daughter in the faith? Are you caring for the souls of others? There are many young Christians today that are falling through the cracks because there's no one to care for their souls. They need someone who will take a special interest in their spiritual development. They need someone who will pray regularly for them, shoot them an encouraging e-mail and spend some face to face time with them. Pray that God will give you a Timothy in your life. October is Pastor's appreciation month. Take time to show your appreciation to those who take time to care for your soul.
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