“Command and teach these things,” “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young,” “Do not neglect your gift,” these are three of the many directives Paul gives Timothy in this short passage. What is so important that Paul would blast him with all these orders? It has to do with hope, the hope of Christ, the reality of the living God who has created, redeemed, and called them (and us) to proclaim the good news that eternal life in relationship with God and one another can and should begin right now. What about you, do you believe this? Does this hope penetrate to the very core of your being and is it lived out in every moment of your life? Does it shape your thoughts and actions? Knowing the challenge of leadership Timothy is facing, Paul gives him these directives not as a load to be carried, but as an encouragement to keep running the race and to remember that Christ is our only hope, and we can put our full trust in him, both now and forevermore.
