“Dear _____ (your name here)…”

2 Timothy 3:10-15 – “You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness…”
It is easy to forget that this “book” of the bible is actually a personal letter written from a mentor to his beloved mentee. The Apostle Paul, as he writes to Timothy, the young pastor from Ephesus, uses language that resonates with us 2000 years later not only because it’s writing was guided by the Holy Spirit but also because these words were born out of a relationship between the two that transcends cultures and millennia. To slow down and see the love and care that Paul has for Timothy no doubt causes us to long for the same type of a mentoring relationship. A relationship that is motivated by the transforming love and power of Jesus Christ. Paul had been so transformed by Jesus (read Acts 9 as a reminder of how radical this transformation was) that he wanted to share it with everybody. He saw in Timothy somebody who was willing to give their life to Jesus as well so he poured out his heart to him. What a window we have into their relationship!

For today: Read 2 Timothy 1:2-5. Can you identify anybody in your life that is a spiritual mentor to you? If not, can you identify anybody that would be a great person to ask?