Press the arrow to listen to Hillsong Church while reading today’s devotion about Timothy.

Scripture
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him…. Acts 16:1-3

Observation
If Timothy was like any Tim of today, he would have had interests at home. He probably had a job. He may have had a girl friend or was sweet on some girl. He was obviously close to his mother. And he loved his local church. But Timothy willingly waved this all goodbye to follow Paul wherever he went.

What happened next in his life story is even more remarkable. Timothy disappeared off of the Bible page. It would be better to say that he fell between the lines. Timothy was present in the story but is never mentioned. We can only imagine that he did everything from washing clothes to stitching tents and getting dinner ready.

There are not many young men with ambition willing to be submerged in God’s purposes. But Timothy was willing to disappear. He would later bob to the surface of the Bible story when he was needed to do some leadership work. But that happened only because he was content to do the mundane things.

Application
I’m sitting today with a man who is a real life Timothy, Lance Coles who is journaling with me. He could have succeeded in any business he had desired to begin, but instead he chose to dissolve himself as a young intern fresh out of college in a church plant in Colorado Springs meeting in a basement. Twenty years later that church numbers over 10,000. Just as there are traces of Timothy throughout the pages of the Bible, so there is part of Lance everywhere. Where are the Timothy’s today who are ready to leave ambitions aside until God grants them to devote themselves for ministry preparation? They are few indeed, but choice men. I pray God leads more of them into my influence.

Prayer
Father, help me to be the Paul you need me to be to the Timothy’s you surround me with. Give to your church young men with a heart not to achieve but to be developed as true sons of the ministry, a sonship shown not by blood in the veins but by bloodstains from faithful service. Amen.