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Value Relationships

                 As I prepared to preach a series of lessons from 2 Timothy, I asked myself, “What do we know about Timothy?”  The answer surprised me.
                How old was he when he worked in Ephesus?  How tall was he?  What colour was his hair?  Did he have a good sense of humour?  Was he good looking?  What was his favourite food?
                The answer to each of those questions is, “I don’t know!”.  We are not told those things.  What do we know about him then?
                We know that his father was a Greek and likely an unbeliever (Acts 16:1), while both his grandmother and mother were faithful to the Lord (2 Timothy 1:5).
                We know that when he met the apostle Paul in his hometown of Lystra, the church there bragged so much about Timothy that Paul decided to take him on his trip to visit other churches (Acts 16:2-4).
                We know that he spent time with the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17) and that he was left in Ephesus to help organize that young congregation (1 Timothy 1:3).
                We know that Timothy worked alongside Silas (1 Thessalonians 1:1) and that he became so close to the apostle Paul that he referred to Timothy as, “My true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2).
                Lastly, we know that Timothy was, “faithful in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:17).
                What do you notice about that list?
                Timothy’s entire story is defined by relationships! 
                Donald Miller once said, “Relationships are a greater predictor of who we will become than exercise, diet or media consumption”.  We know this to be true in a negative sense.  1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds us that, “Bad company corrupts good character”.  However, Timothy’s life proves that relationships can be a powerful tool for good as well.  Relationships are opportunities!
                Therefore, I need to keep relationships at the top of my priority list.  It is too easy to sit at home and do nothing.  It is tempting to think that I do not need anyone else and that they do not need me.  We need to resist that thinking!
                In truth, investing in others helps both them and me. 
                As Proverbs 11:25 states, “He who refreshes others refreshes himself!”

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