2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

² To Timothy, my dear son:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Can you feel the love expressed by Paul?  Timothy was dearly loved, like a son by Paul.  Though he was away from him he took an active interest in his life.  Most importantly he prayed.  I am convicted at my lack of prayer for my children.

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

More conviction.  Why do I hold back?  The Holy Spirit is one of "power, love and self-discipline".  I need to stop thinking of doing it and just do it.

  ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹ And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Not only have I not had a loved one in jail, but I've not had one say "join me".  Yet Paul's imprisonment is from sharing the gospel.  The grace of Jesus is so great that Paul was wiling to suffer for his calling to share it.  He was doing what was right before God and was not ashamed.

¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

I hope to be a pattern my children can follow. Not just my physical children, but those with whom I share Christ.  I also need to value grace and the gospel more.  I confess I do not honor them as highly as I should.

¹⁵ You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
¹⁶ May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. ¹⁷ On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. ¹⁸ May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus.

Here are examples of one who did it wrong and one who did it right.  I hope that when I am remembered it will be for doing it right.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sister. Amen.