This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. — 1 Timothy 1:18-19
This verse hit me hard today because Paul does two things every mentor and leader needs to do. First, he gives his protege a charge. Do you know why? Because when someone needs directions, hints and suggestions don't work. If you leave it up to a hint or a suggestion, the person on the other side will draw conclusions and assumptions about what you might want them to do, and most of the time, they will get it wrong. Especially when it comes to things of a spiritual nature. And Paul knows that Timothy cannot get this one wrong. There is too much at stake — like the gospel message to the church in Ephesus. Second, he connects this charge with a reminder about some previous promises given to Timothy. So Paul's charge here is really a recharge. A charge with a recharge that's really just a reminder. Because sometimes we need to be reminded, don't we?
But there is a reason he does this. And he tells us right in this verse why he is charging and reminding him. It is so that Timothy will "wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience." So in my words, Paul charges and reminds Timothy so he will never stop acting and believing as God's good man.
Now let's step back for a moment. We just looked way in at the bark on the tree. Now let's look at the tree. Here is what Paul is doing. It's simple. He is repeating to Timothy something Timothy has been told time and time again. But this time, Paul is saying it with new emphasis because he knows it will meet with new learning. Isn't this true for all of us? How many times have you read one text in the Bible and then read it after you have gone through a challenge, difficulty, or some opposition in your life, and suddenly, you see new meaning in it? That has happened in my life many times, which gives us good reason to cling to promises and proverbs in God's Word. And gives us good reason to repeat them time and time again to ourselves.
I bet there are men out there today who still cling to axioms, adages, promises, and proverbs given to you years ago. These charges from other men have probably given you hope. If you want to share them today in the comments below. Maybe they will help give hope to another man in the middle of a challenge right now.
ASK THIS: What promise do you need to cling to today?
DO THIS: Share it below.
PRAY THIS: God, I cling to the hope and promise you have given me.
PLAY THIS: Standing on the Promises.

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