Scroll down to see and play Audio.
Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
This week I’d like to invite you to join with me and a man named Timothy, receiving several key, guiding life principles from one of the greatest men of all time, his mentor, the Apostle Paul. If we will view them like ‘guard rails’ on the side of a winding road, they will help us stay on the road God desires for our lives.
I’ve been digging into 2 Timothy because there is such wise advice for people of all ages, in all places, at a time like this Coronavirus pandemic and leadership failure in almost every part of our world. The wisdom Paul gives seems so appropriate for such a time as this. So, here we go. The Principle for today is: “Nurture the Godly DNA you inherit”!
Thanks to recent scientific research, we understand the unique identifier in each of us is called DNA. Your DNA is in every part of your body…your hair, teeth, skin, even toenails! And our DNA is directly linked to the DNA of our biological parents. So what do you think about “Spiritual DNA”? What is that for you and what have you inherited spiritually from your ancestors?
Look with me at 2 Timothy 1:3,4, where Paul writes: “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.”
While we don’t know very much about Paul’s biological family, we do know he was from Tarsus and had a deep passion for Jewish history, the Torah, and Old Testament Scriptures, and was very zealous in his studies. He eventually ended up in Jerusalem as a young Pharisee and of course later became the famous Apostle Paul, after his life changing encounter with the risen Jesus Christ (Acts 9). Paul met young Timothy in his first visit to Lystra, and Timothy quickly became a student of Paul’s. Timothy joined Paul’s traveling missionary group and served some of the churches Paul planted as their pastor. We can see Timothy was the source of much joy in Paul’s life, in part because Timothy loved the Scriptures as Paul did.
Paul is writing this second letter to Timothy from a Roman prison, and this time Paul evidently knew his time was short, he would likely soon be executed as an unrepentant follower of Jesus. As you know, since the days of Jesus, people all around the world have been executed if they would not recant and disown Jesus, and reject His teachings. These are often called martyrs as they courageously die rather than disown their Savior Jesus who died so they could have eternal life.
When Timothy received this letter from Paul, he was likely in the Greek city of Ephesus, leading and serving the Christians there, many of whom Paul had personally led to Christ. It was a great honor for Timothy to serve this wonderful group of Christians whom Paul loved so much. By the time he received this letter, it’s very likely Paul had been executed, so this was the “epilogue” of Paul’s life, from his own mouth.
Notice what Paul writes next: “I have been 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. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you by the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and of self-discipline.”
Dr. Luke, the Greek physician who traveled with and cared for Paul, wrote the account we have called the book of Acts. Luke describes, in Acts 16:1-5, about Paul’s discovery of young Timothy in the town of Lystra, and his family heritage, a Greek father and devout Jewish mother, who had become a follower of Jesus. I imagine Eunice to be much like Hannah or Elizabeth. A godly woman who prayed earnestly for her son and pointed him often to God’s Word. Also a woman of great faith. Paul tells us Timothy’s grandmother Lois also had great faith in God. Oh what a privilege for Timothy to have two generations of godly women deeply influencing his life!
Do you notice Paul gives Timothy a very clear action path: “Fan into flame…” We’ve all been around campfires or smoldering fireplaces enough that we understand when the flames are gone and all that’s left are glowing embers. Left untended, the glowing embers will continue to cool and eventually die out. Did you know our spiritual lives can be similar? Look at your life… do you recognize all the things clamoring for your attention and your affections? Can you see why it’s so important to ‘fan into flame’ those spiritual embers in your life?
So how does that work for you? How do you ‘fan into flame’ your spiritual DNA? Is it time with passionate Christian friends discussing the great truths of the Bible and our Christian faith? Is it study of God’s Word, is it memorization of Scripture, is it prayer, or even fasting, is it worship, is it sharing your faith in Christ with someone else, perhaps someone who doesn’t know Jesus? Is it going on a missions trip? How do you ‘fan into flame’ your spiritual embers? And what if you don’t?
When is the last time your spiritual passion grew cold, your spiritual vitality waned, you felt you were in a spiritual desert? What did you do? Do you hear Paul’s advice to Timothy? First, recognize what Spiritual DNA you have inherited from your ancestors, and second ‘fan into flame’ that Spiritual DNA, and the spiritual gifts God has given you! Nurture your Spiritual DNA!! If you don’t. . . well have you ever seen a malnourished child? That’s a glimpse of someone who is not nurturing their Spiritual lives!
Now I invite you to take a piece of paper and list the names of your parents, your grandparents and if you knew them, your great-grandparents. Beside each name, write a phrase which describes their “spiritual DNA”. And look closely to see how it was passed to their children, and what their children did to either nurture it, fan it into flame, or disregard it? Can you trace your “spiritual DNA” and understand your spiritual ancestry? More importantly, what is the ‘spiritual DNA’ you are developing and passing to your children and grandchildren? How are you teaching them to ‘fan into flame’ their relationship with Jesus, their hunger for God’s Word, their love of prayer and worshiping God, their intimacy with the Holy Spirit in their lives?
Finally, listen to this word from Paul in vs. 7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.” Look in the mirror friends, what do you see? Timidity, fear, insecurity. . .or courage, confidence, boldness in Jesus? My friends, I’d like to urge you now to take your journal, and ponder that statement of Paul’s, and write what you sense the Holy Spirit is saying to you about what HE, the HOLY SPIRIT of God, is attempting to do IN you and THROUGH your life, with the ‘spiritual DNA’ entrusted to you! Here’s a song about a praying mother that might help you reflect. . .
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.