When the word but is used in a sentence, it means a contradiction to the previous statement made or written. In this case, an elder brother in the Lord, Paul, was addressing the son he raised in the Lord and he said, But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (1 Tim. 6:11). Timothy was born by a Greek father and an Israelite mother but he became someone that heaven reckoned with. Many youths of today have no other pursuits than money, games, sports, social media, pleasures, etc. which do not promote the love for God and so they remain a nobody.
But thou, O man of God was an address to Timothy whose name become a book in the Bible. How did he become a man of God? What path did he tread before he got to this point of critical introduction by heaven thou, man of God? If it were to you, but thou,… (insert your name). How will you be addressed? But thou, fornicator or thou drunkard or thou rebellious child? Who are you, young man or woman? Timothy was not born a saint, he did not become a man of God overnight, the good news is that you can also change your testimony if you will obey the Word of God. Let’s take a look at Timothy, an example of a youth like you who entered God’s purpose for his existence.
His Background
Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. (Acts 16:1 NKJV).
The father of Timothy was an unbeliever from Greece. His mother Eunice was a believer, yet Timothy was Greek by birth. Probably, as a son, the example of a father he grew up with was a drunkard, a careless man, etc. but it did not affect Timothy, he made a choice to follow his mother’s teachings. Young man or woman, stop blaming your background for your failure. Your background cannot hinder the height of success you will reach in life, if you answer the Master’s call in Matt. 11:28. What is your background? What load has it put on you? Why not heed your Maker’s call and come to Jesus, who will lift your heavy load and give you rest. Timothy decided to come to Jesus and he was addressed as a disciple, meaning that, he was not only born again, he also bore the yoke of Christ. (Matt. 11:29-30). No wonder he found rest and became great even from his youth. Beloved, Christ is waiting for you regardless of your background, He has turned fishermen into fishers of men, He had made a tax collector (a publican) to become an apostle and we have seen Him turning those from occultic backgrounds into great men in the Church and in the society. Hand over your life to Jesus Christ. He has never wasted the life of any who came to Him, He will also not waste yours.
His Upbringing
Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ while exhorting Timothy as his beloved son revealed to us Timothy’s childhood days in 2 Tim. 1:5, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. (2 Tim. 1:5). If you instruct brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. (1 Tim. 4:6). From the above Scriptures, it was clear that Timothy was taught and brought up by his godly mother. He was introduced to faith in Christ by both his grandmother and his mother. He carefully followed the good doctrine that he was taught. Many youths started hearing the Word of God right from Sunday school or good news club, some even sang in the Church choir but today they have been drawn away by the world and they no longer have interest in the things of God. Is this your state now? You are in the church physically, you are probably in discipleship already but deep down in your heart you are not following the good doctrine.
Are you already complaining that nothing is happening in your life? Check, are you truly following the good doctrine of Christ that you have received from godly parents? If yes, keep at it and before long, there will be a fulfillment of God’s purpose for your life. But if you have been despising the faith quietly in your heart then you need to repent and embrace the Lord whole heartedly for His thoughts towards His children are of good and not of evil to give them an expected end.
God is not unrighteous and there is no partiality in Him, He created you for His pleasure not yours so stop thinking of what God should have done for you but has not done. Rather seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every thing else will be added to you. (Matt. 6:33). If you follow the words of faith like Timothy, one day you will also be called man of God where ever you are located. God expects you to be His representative in the school, at home, in the market place, in your office and wherever you are.
His Discipleship
Discipleship is God’s sole method of making men useable vessels. Timothy was introduced as a certain disciple (Acts 16:1). Believers in Christ in Bible days were called disciples. Discipleship is not another denomination; it is the process of becoming Christ-like. Remember, disciples were called Christians first in Antioch because they behaved like Christ. Being a disciple implies that you have decided to put the yoke of Christ on so that HE will lead you as your Master in ALL your ways until you grow to become more and more like HIM. That song writer says “let Christ be seen in you”. In Rom. 8:29: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Every one who is born again only obeyed Matt. 11:28, then he or she must move to Matt. 11:29 in order to find rest for his or her soul. Christ, the first born among many brothers and sisters is an indication that we must all look like Him in our thoughts, deeds and words. When you see children born of the same father and mother, you do not need to be told that they are related because of the resemblance you will see in them either on their faces or in their characters. Beloved young man and woman, your training to become like Christ is more important than anything else. Jesus testified that, He who sent me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him (Jn. 8:29). Beloved, are your ways pleasing to God, do people see Christ in you? Check the testimony of Timothy as a certain disciple, a single adult like you. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him becase of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek”. (Acts 16:2-3). Timothy as a young disciple was well spoken of where he lived. Check, what is your testimony in the home where you live, at school or in the office, in your neighbourhood? Can God go with you? Are you doing all that Christ was doing that pleased the Father, humble, praying always and obeying the Scriptures even when He was to die? Stop complaining or seeking mundane things from the Lord, even the issue of marriage should not be a matter in your life; Jesus said all other things will be added to you. God is not partial when He sees Christ in you, He will respond to you as He did to Christ – not leaving you alone in trouble to sink.
Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. This is the second reason for discipleship in a yielded life. You, becoming what you are created and redeemed for – a useable vessel in God’s hand. To enter the fullness of God’s purpose in your life, you need to be carried, you need to be trained by others whom God has equally helped and trained. No wonder, Timothy followed Paul as Paul followed Christ and he became a man of God like Paul. You are created for God’s pleasure (Rev. 4:11). God has an intention and purpose for every one He has redeemed. Until you fulfill God’s purpose for your life, you must have God as your Guardian and serve Him wholeheartedly. Timothy yielded to circumcision because people knew his father was a Greek meaning he was not circumcised though he was a disciple. Becoming a vessel in God’s hand, takes the cutting away of the flesh, the foreskin and you cannot do it by yourself. You need men like Joshua (Josh. 5:2-8) and Paul who God will use to circumcise your heart and help you to remove those habits and character of life that contradict Christ. For circumcision to take place, you need to open up your life and expose every secret habits, sins and lusts. What are you hiding in your life? It is time to open up for circumcision. You need discipline, through discipleship. Peradventure, you are a certain disciple like Timothy but you have been dodging circumcision, you cannot go far beloved. Make this year your year of usefulness.
Timothy’s cutting away of the flesh was physical, painful and shameful yet he did not revolt. He surrendered to a man, Paul, even when he did not yet understand where God is taking him to, through Paul. Yours was just an instruction from your discipler or a counsel from your spiritual leader not to take a wrong step and you revolted, you disobeyed. Now then can God be with you as He was with Christ. Have you seen a carpenter or a mechanic or a medical doctor who was not trained first in his field of career. If men know the importance of training, how much more God. Many times you have been encouraged to develop a personal relationship with God in quiet time but instead of praying and receiving from God by reading your Bible, you preferred to play games on phone, chat on face book and whatsApp rather than staying in God’s presence and you know that these things take your time and for some, it has become an addiction. Great men in the Bible like Joseph, David, Daniel, even Timothy started from when they were still single. You must set your priorities right henceforth.
Paul, after going with Timothy in years of discipleship now addressed Timothy as his beloved son (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2). Who is your father dear young one? Check, are you truly a son or a deceiver? Can heaven accept you as a brother or sister to Jesus Christ?
Conclusion
In conclusion, God’s charge to you dearly beloved young man and woman is But you, …, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Tim. 6:11-12).
God has helped us to look at But thou in this article, you need to also know these things you must flee from. Flee pride, disputes and arguments, envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds, ungodliness, and love of money (1 Tim. 6:3-10). The list of things you must run away from as a youth are many, pornography, masturbation, premarital sex and the likes that ought not to be mentioned among disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. As you are fleeing from these things, there are other things you must pursue as Paul wrote to Timothy. If the Lord permits, those things like godliness, faith etc. will be discussed in full that you may become a perfect vessel in God’s hand. For now, do labour more on your growth to become like Christ. When other singles around you are enjoying these things that they should flee from, but thou work on your life, take your discipleship seriously and the Lord will help you more this year in Jesus Name. Happy New Year.