1 Tim
1:12-13 (ESV) I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our
Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.
But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, …
NOTE: Paul's
approach to Timothy is to remind him that there are similarities between them.
Paul had weaknesses too, he was deemed a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an
insolent opponent, and yet, as he writes the letter, he is the leader of the
ministry to the Gentiles. People had a lot of reasons to ignore Paul, and Paul
felt weak, but God gave him strength and mercy, just as God could give Timothy.
Everyone feels weak at times. Everyone goes through struggles where they do not
feel up to the task. Timothy was not so unusual. Nor are we. It is normal to
feel deficient to the task, but God is bigger than we are and he can make us
successful. We all fail. We should not let our failures define us. I've failed
in many ways, but God gives me strength and mercy to try again.
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