Gospel Reflections #416: It's not because of what we have, but rather of what God has

1 Timothy 4:12 “Do not let anyone think lightly of you because you are young in years, but rather be an example to those who believe in you in word, in deed, in love, in faith, and in purity. Rather, be an example to those who believe, in word, in deed, in love, in faith, and in purity."

This is part of Paul's letter to Timothy so that he would not be slighted because of his young age.

When Timothy was chosen by God to be a teacher, he was only a young man.

Timothy was not self-satisfied and was constantly seeking guidance, so Paul was free to write to Timothy.

Humans are often driven by "impulse" rather than "thought," but whenever Timothy acted, he asked, "Is this the way of the Lord?

We are given the choice to "put God first" or "put ourselves first" in everything we do in our daily lives.

And although Timothy was not particularly gifted, he gave all of his talents to the service of God. This is what made Timothy's work precious.

We, too, are invited to God's service not because we have talents, but because we can accept that "all of our abilities come from God," or because we want to be useful to God even though we have nothing we can do.

What is in our hearts about "who to rely on" and "what to depend on" will gradually become apparent to the outside world.

It is God who has planted the "seed of faith" in our hearts.

Since we are just a field, there is nothing we can do on our own. All we can do is to accept the "seed of faith" that God has sown in our hearts.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.