1&2 Timothy: Priorities & Principles In LeadershipSample

Be Not Ashamed

According to sources that monitor the persecution of Christians worldwide, more Christians were martyred for their faith in the last century than in all the centuries combined. In some Asian countries, persecution also takes the form of forced conversion to another religion.

All who love the Lord will face persecution in one form or another. How we respond is what matters. Paul's message is clear - do not be ashamed, rather be prepared to suffer (v 8). Have we sometimes been ashamed of the simple Gospel and the crucified Christ? Have we equated health, wealth & success with God's favour, and suffering with shame?

Timothy, Paul's timid young protégé must have felt anxious and afraid when Paul was imprisoned. Was the Gospel worth the suffering? Paul's reply was an unashamed "Yes!" He was a prisoner of the Lord not Caesar (v 8). He was on death row for preaching a Gospel that gave LIFE (vs 9-10) and above all, he knew that his God was absolutely trustworthy (v 12). Are we like Paul, courageous in our conviction or like Timothy, in need of the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome our fears to testify boldly to the Gospel?