Tag Archives: Timothy

Baseball Has Its Spring Training. When Does YOUR Spring Training Start?

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After our usual weird Texas winter weather, we have made it to SPRING! And to a lot of folks, Spring means baseball! With the exception of 2020, Pro baseball players have always begun their year by going to Spring Training. (And in the summer, Pro football players attend training camp.) Coaches and trainers are engaged, and every resource is provided to help maximize a team’s potential. Athletes use all kinds of training regimens to get into shape and be prepared for the challenges they face. They work out every day in order to be able to perform at the highest levels. In the Spring of 64 AD or so, Paul encouraged Timothy to do the same thing, but with a different end in mind.

The Exhortation

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come… Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8, 11-12)

Paul was advising Timothy about how to be an effective pastor, but his counsel carries a few good words of advice for all of us no matter what our vocation. 1) Don’t be distracted by what you hear in the media, social or otherwise. There’s a lot a misinformation floating around out there, so concentrate on the good stuff.

2) Train yourself to be godly. Godliness apparently doesn’t just happen magically, and Paul says that you can pursue it like an athlete pursues fitness.

Would you say that you are in training to be godly? What is your daily regimen? What are your goals? How hard do you work? Training doesn’t just happen; it requires thought and effort. Paul points out that physical fitness has value, but that spiritual fitness is something you will carry not only through this life but the life to come.

I get mail from my gym on a regular basis encouraging me to engage the services of a personal fitness trainer. Many people think nothing of spending money to help achieve their physical fitness goals, but does anyone ever think of spending time and money to achieve SPIRITUAL fitness goals? Have you ever thought of doing that?

Equipping the Called

3) “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young”. Paul wanted to encourage Timothy as a young pastor, but I see this as a fill-in-the-blank verse. There are always naysayers and obstacles to overcome in this life, and Paul is saying that they pale in comparison to the high calling of God.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are __________.” Fill in the blank: Not trained. Too old. Inexperienced. Damaged goods. Too ordinary. Too Out of the ordinary. You fill it in. There’s a saying that God doesn’t call the equipped, but He equips the called.

The Example

4) “Be an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” I think that list covers just about everything. Training to be godly has results. If you’d like to reflect these actions and values, work on it. Keep training!

Spring Into Training

Paul tells Timothy that athletes work hard on their fitness,
And challenges him to work out just as hard to be a witness.
Physical training has some value, but spiritual training brings
A godliness, the growth of which brings value to ALL things.
Equip yourself with habits. Every day you can begin
By having time alone with God, to build you from within.
So train your spiritual self, work out! And build your spiritual pecs
Since godliness has value, both in this world and the next!

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

Reproduction Has More to It Than What You Learned in Biology 101

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Biological reproduction ensures the propagation of the species, right? And of course, you remember cellular reproduction? And all that stuff about “the birds and the bees”? But, there is more to reproduction than they taught us in biology class! In his second letter to Timothy, Paul talks to his friend about spiritual reproduction, which is a whole ‘nother thing!

A Different Kind of Multiplication

“Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me in among many witnesses, the same thou commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, KJV)

This verse is well-known for being the template for spiritual reproduction. One believer teaches another. They teach another, and so on. It is Paul’s one sentence plan for reaching the whole world with the message of Jesus Christ. Quick, how many generations of disciples are connected to your reading of these verses?

The classic answer is four generations. Paul, who teaches Timothy (in the presence of other witnesses), who is told to teach faithful men, who will teach others also. That’s how spiritual reproduction works, one generation passing the gospel down to the next.

So, What is Paul Saying?

1) Paul calls Timothy his son. These men had a close bond, forged from a friendship that transcended tribulations and generations. Passing the torch of discipleship is no casual relationship. It is one of commitment and expectation. It involves acceptance of authority and accountability.

2) Committing something to faithful men is different from “let’s all go to church once a week and maybe that’ll get it done spiritually”. It uses the word “commit”, so maybe it should be self-evident. It involves training, consistency, discipline, and daily devotion. How fair would it be to men sent into battle after training them an hour or two a week for a few months? They’d get slaughtered! (Instead, think spiritual Marines. Think intensity and training. Think, life and death struggle. Are we really satisfied with our level of spiritual training? Yeah, most of us are FAR from being the equivalent of spiritual Marines!)

We approach the very real spiritual warfare in which we are engaged with a very cavalier attitude…Perhaps that’s why churches are waning all around us, and perhaps that is why the enemy seems to be taking ground from us every day in our generation.

First or Last?

3) Every generation has the opportunity to be the final (last) Christian generation. While I know that God has other plans, this is a sobering thought. If we all quit teaching others, and all stopped committing it to faithful believers, the Christian movement would simply die from neglect. Are you ending or extending the marvelous story of Grace?

4) Count the generations again. I think there are actually SIX generations represented. The first unspoken one is the one who taught Paul. Since he spent time in the desert being taught by Christ, it’s logical to say that Jesus was the first generation (and come to think of it, that is logical not only for Paul but for all of us!).

The Next Generation

The sixth generation, as you read this verse, is YOU. You are the one who was ultimately reached by “others also”. You are the next one up, the generation upon whom future generations depend. Who are you reaching? Who are your “faithful men”? Not all of us are gifted as prophets or evangelists or preachers. But all of us are gifted with relationships. Each of us has the opportunity to pass the torch. It is up to us to extend not just the gospel but a culture of discipleship to those coming after us. Don’t break the chain.

Reproduction

Paul explained to Timothy, “What you have seen and heard from me
Review and study well. And then, commit those things to faithful men
Who, when they listen well and learn, will carry on and take their turn
To pass the torch as Christ directs from this generation to the next.
Although the mission field is vast, we must be equal to the task:
Make sure your generation’s torch is passed!
If you are not the next one, then you may just be the last…

To buy my latest book, Real People, Real Christmas: Thirty-one Days Discovering the Hidden Treasures of the Christmas Story, go here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1729034918/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For Slaying Giants: Thirty Days with David, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Slaying-Giants-Thirty-Devotions-Ordinary/dp/172568327X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535814431&sr=8-1&keywords=Slaying+Giants%3A+Thirty+Days+With+David
To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread