The apostle Paul first met Timothy when, on his second missionary journey, he visited the city of Lystra. Timothy’s mother and grandmother were believers, but his father was not. The busy, type A apostle saw something in Timothy that led him to invest his life into him. While Paul sometimes missed such opportunities, such as in his dealings with John Mark, he always had people around him into whom he was investing his life. Long after Paul was gone, the people he discipled continued to proclaim the message Paul had so faithfully preached.
What do you give to those you are mentoring or working with? Paul began with the goodness of God. He wished God’s grace on his young protege. Grace is God’s undeserved favor. It is what makes us like Jesus. Paul also sought God’s mercy in Timothy’s life. While Timothy was apparently a godly and sincere young man, everyone needs God’s mercy. And finally, Paul sought God’s peace. Peace is what we experience when everything between God and us, is as it should be. That was what Paul was striving for in Timothy’s life. As he walked with the young man, Paul sought to lead Timothy into the quality of walk with God in which he could experience everything God intended for him.
Whose life are you currently investing in? Are you helping them experience God’s grace, mercy, and peace?