Finding Timothy

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1-3


The leadership in the congregation I am part of is very emphatic about training and mentoring the next generation of men and women who will carry on the vision the Lord has given our house. From our senior pastor to our cell group leaders, each one of us is encouraged to “produce their own kind”.

I have been a cell group leader for over four months now and it has been a privilege and a challenge for me to oversee 11 teenagers – young men who show such great potential for the Kingdom of God. I enjoy meeting with them as a group, spending time with them one on one, texting them, chatting with them, encouraging them, giving them hugs, sharing the Word of God with them. It is a joy.

However, there is another facet of this dynamic that is new to me – handling problems and individual issues of each young man. These are teenagers, man! Anyone who has been through puberty knows this stage of life is anything but stable. I’ve had to counsel some of these young men in the area of relationships with the opposite sex, parental issues, questions about their identity, evangelism issues and so much more (and believe me, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE. Hahaha. You have no idea how much I am learning about the power of prayer these days! HAHAHA).

In the midst all of these twists and turns, ups and downs, and ins and outs of overseeing these guys in their conundrums and guiding them to the right path – path which Jesus is on – I’ve also been given by God the task of finding “reliable men” to whom I can pass on and entrust the things He has entrusted to me.

I read in a discipleship booklet that every Christian should be asking two questions: “Who is my Paul?” and “Who is my Timothy?” Each one of us should be aware who our Paul is – the one who is mentoring us and from whom we receive training and instruction in the Lord. At the same time, we should also be on the look out for our Timothy – those whom God gives us to mentor, train and instruct.

In the interest of producing after my own kind, the Lord has been showing me potential Timothies in our congregation – young men who exhibit faithfulness, availability and teachability. I have been asking God if these indeed are the ones He has assigned me to take under my wing, so to speak.

God has already shown me my Pauls (I have more than one). And I have been greatly blessed, instructed and equipped through them. Now it’s time to pass on what I have to “men who will also be qualified to teach others”.

I believe Timothy is just around the corner.