Paul to Timothy: GROW UP
Paul loved Timothy. You can tell it in the affectionate tone throughout his letters and the personal requests he made in the last few verses of Second Timothy 4. He even calls Timothy "my dearly loved son" in the opening verses of the letter.
But loving someone doesn't mean everything you say to them is lovey-dovey. Sometimes the most loving thing you can say to someone is exactly what they don't want to hear.
I've done it to most of you: "Do not be her friend." "Get out of this relationship." "Do not believe the lie she's telling you." "You are not ready."
(Seriously. Each of those phrases came out of my mouth for you. Sometimes more than once.)
And Paul takes the same tone with Timothy. He's loving and affectionate when it is appropriate, but in chapter two, he takes a little bit harsher tone:
"Flee from youthful passions," he says, "and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).
GROW UP. In Jesus' name.
It's Paul's word to Timothy, and it's my word to you. I can say it because I love you and because I am speaking truth and because I have seen what happens when people refuse to grow up in their faith.
Heartbreak. Strongholds. Idolatry. Addictions.
So many hardships and lasting heartache can be avoided if you would just choose to live in obedience to God. He gave you His standards for a reason; it's not to keep you from fun. It's because you are His child. He loves you so much.
My daughter Shelby is four right now and she has a picking issue. She picks at her cuticles, her scabs, and anything else that might, with lots of aggravation, fall off. Because of that she is regularly bleeding around her nails and she has some bug bites that aren't healing. I LOVE HER, and we spend most of our time hugging and telling each other why we love each other. (Yes, she is that affectionate.) But when I see her picking, I'm not lovey-dovey. I'm telling her the truth: Stop that. Do not do that again. You are hurting yourself and spreading germs. And I've given her the best punishment I know: she is required to put one of her precious princess band-aids on every single spot she has picked. She wails every time she has to "waste" one of her band-aids on something so trivial . I told her when she runs out she has to buy the next box. Pure torture.
Sometimes people who love you speak truth you don't want to hear. And it's a mark of maturity if, after we calm down, we can honestly sit down with our own minds and open our heart to say, "Is she right? Am I sinning here? Do I need to stop? Is he not the one?" You take these questions to the only One who REALLY knows exactly what you should do and seek His face: Am I in the wrong here, Lord? Is she delivering a Word from You?
Grow up.
How? First you must flee youthful passions. You know what they are; I'm not even going to list them. It's the stuff that people say, "Oh, she's just a teenager/college student/fill in the blank with an excuse." NO. It's a sin. FLEE. Get away. Stop.
And then decide to go after other things: righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. So in order to grow up, you need to surround yourselves with people who are mature spiritually. You may need to join a Women's Bible Study or start reading great Christian books with a few friends who have also started to flee youthful passions.
GET AROUND OTHER GROWN-UP BELIEVERS. I'm not talking age at all; I'm talking about spiritual maturity. (Heaven knows there are plenty of 50-year-old women who act like 13-year-olds in their faith.) Paul puts it like this: "commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Get yourself some accountability sisters, of all ages, who are growing in their faith with you. Learn from them. Teach them. Get a deeper love for God and each other as you walk through life and His Word.
Start with a devoted, EVERY SINGLE DAY time with the Lord first thing in the morning. Using your Bible, a devo, and a good Christian book, start memorizing scripture, reading, and praying. [Email me if you want specifics; I'd be happy to share what I do every day with you.]
You'll then need to go out of your way to find that mentor, Jesus friend, and Sister in Christ. I have one who is a dear aunt, one who was in an adult Sunday school class with me over a decade ago, one who was a college friend, one lady almost my mom's age that introduced me to Beth Moore, one who is almost eighty, and one who I stalked in a not-creepy-but-hopefully-holy way. Grown-up women who love the Lord, pursue the things they should, and who are unafraid to speak truth to me (Proverbs 27:6).
Time to grow up.
I'll help if you want. And sometimes even if you don't. :)
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
Please subscribe by putting your email at the top right.
Thanks for all of you who favorite, share, and forward these. Readership is really spreading. I love you.
But loving someone doesn't mean everything you say to them is lovey-dovey. Sometimes the most loving thing you can say to someone is exactly what they don't want to hear.
I've done it to most of you: "Do not be her friend." "Get out of this relationship." "Do not believe the lie she's telling you." "You are not ready."
(Seriously. Each of those phrases came out of my mouth for you. Sometimes more than once.)
And Paul takes the same tone with Timothy. He's loving and affectionate when it is appropriate, but in chapter two, he takes a little bit harsher tone:
"Flee from youthful passions," he says, "and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).
GROW UP. In Jesus' name.
It's Paul's word to Timothy, and it's my word to you. I can say it because I love you and because I am speaking truth and because I have seen what happens when people refuse to grow up in their faith.
Heartbreak. Strongholds. Idolatry. Addictions.
So many hardships and lasting heartache can be avoided if you would just choose to live in obedience to God. He gave you His standards for a reason; it's not to keep you from fun. It's because you are His child. He loves you so much.
My daughter Shelby is four right now and she has a picking issue. She picks at her cuticles, her scabs, and anything else that might, with lots of aggravation, fall off. Because of that she is regularly bleeding around her nails and she has some bug bites that aren't healing. I LOVE HER, and we spend most of our time hugging and telling each other why we love each other. (Yes, she is that affectionate.) But when I see her picking, I'm not lovey-dovey. I'm telling her the truth: Stop that. Do not do that again. You are hurting yourself and spreading germs. And I've given her the best punishment I know: she is required to put one of her precious princess band-aids on every single spot she has picked. She wails every time she has to "waste" one of her band-aids on something so trivial . I told her when she runs out she has to buy the next box. Pure torture.
Sometimes people who love you speak truth you don't want to hear. And it's a mark of maturity if, after we calm down, we can honestly sit down with our own minds and open our heart to say, "Is she right? Am I sinning here? Do I need to stop? Is he not the one?" You take these questions to the only One who REALLY knows exactly what you should do and seek His face: Am I in the wrong here, Lord? Is she delivering a Word from You?
Grow up.
How? First you must flee youthful passions. You know what they are; I'm not even going to list them. It's the stuff that people say, "Oh, she's just a teenager/college student/fill in the blank with an excuse." NO. It's a sin. FLEE. Get away. Stop.
And then decide to go after other things: righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. So in order to grow up, you need to surround yourselves with people who are mature spiritually. You may need to join a Women's Bible Study or start reading great Christian books with a few friends who have also started to flee youthful passions.
GET AROUND OTHER GROWN-UP BELIEVERS. I'm not talking age at all; I'm talking about spiritual maturity. (Heaven knows there are plenty of 50-year-old women who act like 13-year-olds in their faith.) Paul puts it like this: "commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Get yourself some accountability sisters, of all ages, who are growing in their faith with you. Learn from them. Teach them. Get a deeper love for God and each other as you walk through life and His Word.
Start with a devoted, EVERY SINGLE DAY time with the Lord first thing in the morning. Using your Bible, a devo, and a good Christian book, start memorizing scripture, reading, and praying. [Email me if you want specifics; I'd be happy to share what I do every day with you.]
You'll then need to go out of your way to find that mentor, Jesus friend, and Sister in Christ. I have one who is a dear aunt, one who was in an adult Sunday school class with me over a decade ago, one who was a college friend, one lady almost my mom's age that introduced me to Beth Moore, one who is almost eighty, and one who I stalked in a not-creepy-but-hopefully-holy way. Grown-up women who love the Lord, pursue the things they should, and who are unafraid to speak truth to me (Proverbs 27:6).
Time to grow up.
I'll help if you want. And sometimes even if you don't. :)
@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
Please subscribe by putting your email at the top right.
Thanks for all of you who favorite, share, and forward these. Readership is really spreading. I love you.
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