The Hospitable Leader DevotionalSample

Yesterday we read a passage from 1 Timothy, a letter from Paul to his mentee Timothy. In that letter, Paul encouraged Timothy to continue to fight through the challenges he was facing in his calling. As we know, it can be difficult to encourage someone to push on when they’re facing extreme challenges, but Paul knew it was best because it was the calling God had given him.

There are other blessings that come from encouraging those around you to face up to their difficult callings: shared difficult experiences bring us together with those in our sphere of influence. When people face a challenge together, they’re strengthened in their bond. We see the payoff of those who stick together in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, which we read today. 

In the context of this letter, Paul is probably preparing to face his inevitable death. Though no one is quite sure how Paul died, while he wrote this letter he was likely imprisoned and awaiting some form of death sentence. We see this as he says his “departure is near,” and that he’s “fought the good fight.” As a result, he wants Timothy to be with him, comforting him. We can note the loneliness in his writing, as he says that only Luke is with him, and then he mentions multiple people who have deserted him along the way. Paul powerfully, and in a way that can easily resonate with those who have fought for something, reminisces on his groundbreaking leadership and how no one came to support him when he was having to defend himself against attacks. But, he has people like Timothy to call on, the one who Paul strongly challenged to fight the good fight with him. Because they experienced the struggle together, Timothy can weep with Paul, both in sadness for the difficulty of the unfolding events, and in joy for having fought against the powers of the world—and changing the world as a result.