There was a huge age gap between Paul and Timothy. Timothy may have been around thirty years younger than the great evangelist. But Paul saw in Timothy something extraordinary and he took him under his wing. Paul mentored Timothy because Timothy would carry on the ministry long after Paul was gone. Paul was a seasoned Christian and Timothy was just starting out. A lot of the people I minister to are older in Christ but I try to come alongside those younger ones because they are the next generation to lead the church. Imagine having the apostle Paul as a mentor? Timothy was surely well-equipped to lead the church. In Paul’s two letters he wrote to Timothy, he gave him sound advice.
Our verse today, 1 Timothy 1:19, carries two significant things Paul said to Timothy…
Cling to your faith in Christ! In other words, hold onto what you believe, what you’ve been taught, and what you know to be true. Don’t follow myths or teaching that contradicts the Word of God. When persecution finds you, when people oppose you, and when you’re stressed because of the pressures of ministry… hold tight to your faith. This will be your strength, your help, and your weapon against the enemy. What great advice, don’t you agree? Let me encourage you to cling to your faith today.
Keep your conscience clear! This one is so important but we often disregard it. I have a motto I try to live by… “Living with no regrets.” As I am closer to crossing that finish line than I’ve ever been, I don’t want to go to my death with all sorts of things on my conscience. Having a clear conscience means that I have the knowledge, belief, or feeling that I have done nothing bad, wrong, dishonest, or unfair. Of course, I don’t always live this way, but I try.
To keep my conscience clear, I must be very careful what I say, how I say it, and what I do. I must always seek to do what’s right even if it’s not understood. I must be very careful of the words I say to people because as you and I know… words can hurt deeply. Some people never recover from what others have said to them. When I think about our words, I’m reminded of an illustration that we’ve all heard. Two people are on the roof of a building holding a pillow filled with feathers. One says to the other… Open the pillow up and let the feathers out. Feathers go everywhere… some are carried by the wind and can’t be seen anymore. Then the person says… Now go and pick up those feathers. Of course, that’s not possible. Once our words go out, we can’t get them back.
When it comes to bad behavior, I try NOT to support bad behavior either…. Even if it’s a family member. This is not easy to do.
Why should we try and keep our conscience clear? Because Paul says that if we don’t, our faith is shipwrecked… it becomes of no value. And also, it can lead to guilt, shame, and regret. These three things are hard to break free from. So, we must try and make amends to those we’ve hurt by saying we’re sorry. We must repent to God for the way we’ve engaged in bad behavior. I don’t know about you… but I do not want to be lying on my death bed with all sorts of regrets. People I’ve pushed away because I’ve hurt them by my words or actions. I will try really hard to speak words that uplift and not tear down. I pray will live with clear consciences.