1 Corinthians 4:17
For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Timothy was a special person. Paul sent him on some difficult missions. One of those was to deal with the difficult church in Corinth. The key to Timothy’s success was in imitating Paul. As Paul writes in 11:1, he himself was an imitator of Christ. Paul life was consistent with the message he preached. He practiced what he preached. He lived out his faith in Christ. People could look at Paul and see a difference. There was something attractive about his faith. Everywhere he went, he led people to Christ. I find this very inspiring to me. I wonder if I could tell someone to follow me, or follow someone I have taught. I have lots of students and have had probably several thousand over the years. If those students are following my example, could people see Christ in them? Does my life reveal that Christ’s mind is in my through the power of the Holy Spirit? Is there enough evidence to convict me of being a Christ follower? It takes great confidence and a clear conscience to answer affirmative to these types of questions. This is a verse worth revisiting from time to time to ask ourselves if we are living with integrity and full faith in Christ.
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