Of Life and Leadership

Sometimes in the church the problem isn't that people are being taught they can do whatever they want, it is that people are being restricted in areas the Bible doesn't restrict them! This is what was going on in the church Timothy was leading. They were fighting over what to eat and what to wear, and it was causing problems. The Jewish dietary law was no longer over them, but some people were wanting to cling to that and it was causing problems within the church. Paul encourages Timothy to hold fast to the teaching Paul had passed on to him. He basically said, 'concentrate on that, and you'll be fine.'

He told Timothy to make sure he was continually training himself spiritually. Physical training has its value, but it doesn't matter nearly as much as spiritual training. That's because 100 years from now, the only thing that will matter is your relationship with Jesus. So Paul tells him to focus on what counts, and God will handle the rest.

This is important because Timothy was getting resistance from some people because of his age. Timothy was a young guy and he was leading the church. There were some who didn't think he should be doing what he was doing until he was older. Again, not much has changed! Age doesn't determine your ability to lead. You can be a great leader at any age. You can also be a terrible leader at any age! Again, it comes back to your relationship with Jesus. Paul tells him to set an example for everyone (young and old) of how a Christian should live. He says to set an example in speech, in life, in faith, in love, and in purity. The only thing you can do is live for Jesus. When you're in leadership, the will always be people who don't want to follow you for one reason or another. Your concern should be to please God by the way you live and lead. If you will follow Jesus with everything you've got (that includes loving people!) you'll be just fine.

Enjoy the Journey