Blog

Surrounded by Faithful Folk

By: Steve Negley

Posted: July 10, 2017

Category: Daily Devotional

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
II Timothy 1:1-7

I recently mentioned attending our church’s middle school youth group meetings.  Watching our young people grow as disciples of Jesus reminds me of an experience that the Apostle Paul described in the faith formation of a man named Timothy.  Paul had shared faith with this young man, and so had Timothy’s mother, Eunice and grandmother, Lois.  Timothy, this disciple of Jesus and child of God, was surrounded by faithful folk.

Over the course of this past year, our youth have been surrounded by faithful folk in their meetings on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights.  George and Krysti Rowker, Dave Zwicker, Roxanne McCann, and a host of other parents have been present with our middle school youth week after week.  Cheryce Harris, Peggy Threlkel,  Jonathan Owen and many of the parents and grandparents of our high school youth have richly shared faith with them on Sunday nights.  And our church’s young people have grown stronger as Christ’s followers in the midst of these wonderful servants of God.

Is God using you to help form faith in some young person?  Is there a person you might encounter today who will list you someday down the line as their faithful mentor?

Prayer

Lord, let me live my life in such a way today that it might serve as a beacon of faith for some younger disciple of the path of following our Lord and Savior, Jesus, in whose name I pray.  Amen