Motivate him by reminding him of his God-given potential.

“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.” 2 Timothy 1:6

Nothing appeals to me any more on a cold wintry day than the prospect of some delicious, homemade beef stew! You know, the kind full of potatoes, carrots, beans, and especially meat, all bathed in a savory broth. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Good! Of course, the secret to getting the good stuff is to stir up the pot, because all of the best food tends to sink to the bottom.

So it is in our lives that the good stuff tends to become sedentary. Unless we “stir it up,” our lives can become little more than a savory broth lacking the substance others need. Despite Timothy’s doubts to the contrary, God had supernaturally equipped him for the task to which He had called him. Always we must remember that “wherever God guides, He provides.” Or, as the songwriter remarked, “God will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me.”

For years Timothy and Paul had labored together. With an intrepid spirit they had forged the Gospel trail from city to city. Perhaps, with Paul at his side, Timothy felt a camaraderie that provided a sense of boldness. Now in his absence it seems that Timothy had resorted to a character trait reminiscent of his life before his calling–the trait of timidity. Let’s face it: we all have besetting sins. For Timothy it just happened to be a lack of boldness.

With the leaders of the church at Lystra, Paul had laid hands upon Timothy to ordain him to the ministry. The ordination council simply recognized and affirmed that God was at work in young Timothy’s life. It could be that the gift about which Paul speaks in this verse is simply the gift of being called into God’s service. Probably though it refers to the fact that God provided a special, gracious enablement for an otherwise timid young man to be a mighty proponent of the Gospel and an indefatigable worker in the ministry of church planting. Read more…

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Praise the Good You Can!

“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.” 2 Timothy 1:5

Timothy had his character flaws, as we all do. His happened to be timidity. Unlike his mentor Paul, Timothy tended to shrink from controversy and sometimes even grew ashamed of the Gospel itself. As any good mentor would do, Paul addressed this character flaw head on. In fact, the first two chapters of 2 Timothy revolve around the theme of “not ashamed.” (Check it out for yourself.)

Different from many modern toxic leadership styles, Paul tempered his rebuke of Timothy’s behavior with some legitimate praise for his genuine walk with God. Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced people in our lives for whom even our best efforts were not satisfactory. Although these people can possess the very best of motives (i.e. that they are merely trying to make us better), their over-exacting expectations accomplish just the opposite, and we’re left with a “Why even try?” attitude.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that we lower our expectations or submerge our teens in the lukewarm tank of nothing but positive thoughts. What I am saying is that healthy crops grow in soil that has been weeded and fertilized. Picture pulling weeds as rebuke; envision fertilizing as praise. Read more…

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Seek to affirm his godly and God-ordained relationships.

Spiritual leaders should always strive to view themselves as team members when it comes to impacting the lives of young people. At times the unwise youth leader will unknowingly alienate teenagers from other great influences in his life.

Timothy did not enjoy the privilege of having a Christian father; he was however blessed with a godly mother and grandmother. Paul did not view his role in Timothy’s life as one adversarial to the role of Timothy’s other spiritual leaders. In fact, he affirmed their influence and reminded Timothy of the importance of such positive leadership.

Youth pastors, teachers, and lay leaders need to understand that their ministry of mentorship in the lives of a young person represents one small segment of that teenager’s journey of faith. In so many of the lives of our young people, parents and grandparents have been laboring and praying and investing for many years before we ever get involved—and for many years after our involvement again diminishes. How foolish it would be for us, in the six or seven years they participate in our youth ministries, to alienate them from their primary leaders! Read more…

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Tell him that you enjoy being with him! Do not underestimate the value of an emotional bond (2 Tim. 1:4). “Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears…”

Have you ever heard somebody say, “I love him, but I just don’t like him!”? I’m not a big fan of such sentiment. Those whom God calls us to serve should be those with whom we form close emotional ties.

Paul invested in his young protégé Timothy for years. Together they forged the gospel trail throughout Asia and into Europe. Together they faced the challenges of persecution at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Together, for almost three years, they helped to establish the great church at Ephesus.

No doubt they spent many long hours not only mutually laboring for others, but also sharpening one another. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” These men had invested their time in each other’s lives; no wonder they possessed such warm affection for each other!

As leaders in our respective fields, we must not underestimate the value of simply spending time with those whom we lead. Even in the ministry of Jesus, we find Him often seeking respite from the crowd in order to spend time with His disciples. Love means many things, but near the top of the list, love means time. Read more…

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Pray for him (and let him know that you are praying for him!) 2 Timothy 1:3; Luke 22:31-32

Like most people in church, teenagers are willing to share prayer requests. While it is difficult at times to get teens to share a testimony or witness to a friend, it seems that they are willing to share prayer requests. And your reaction to such requests is probably positive—that is, at least outwardly.

“I’ll be praying for you!” Or, “I’ll remember that in prayer.” But do we actually follow through on such promises? How prone we are to forget such spur-of-the-moment answers! And if we have trouble praying for our young people when they ask for us to do so, how much more negligent are we when it comes to praying for them when they don’t ask?

Paul encouraged Timothy by reminding him that every time he spent time in regular prayer (morning and night), Timothy was one of the subjects of that prayer time. Unlike Paul, many youth leaders tend to say that they are praying for their teens… when sadly they are not. Leaders simply must rededicate themselves to the discipline of prayer!

Prayer goes places that you cannot go and influences in ways that you simply cannot. It is the royal invitation for God to work on the behalf of another. It is the indispensable weapon of every believer, and without it, victory is an utter impossibility.

In the context of Peter’s impending denial of Christ, our Lord promised him that he would be restored. Satan desired to sift the disciples as wheat. He intended to destroy them and thereby eradicate Christianity in its seminal form. “But I have prayed for thee,” said the Lord Jesus. Prayer is as strong as God is! Read more…

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