There are two things evident in Paul's letter(s) to Timothy. One is the obvious message recorded. The other is the underlying relationship evident in the way the obvious message is delivered. Does that make sense? What I am trying to say is that Paul had a serious leadership role in Timothy's life.
When I thought about this a bit I mentally compared Paul to a war-hardened soldier; a man who had seen many battles. But as I thought further, I corrected my analogy to this: Paul was a ministry-softened soldier. 2 Timothy 2.11-13 presents a beautiful picture of this: "This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Who He is." I don't know what it is really except that this passage speaks loudly to me.
It is almost as if we don't get stronger (as the world sees strength) when we draw nearer to God, but we grow weaker. Our self will atrophies and gives place to the will of God. Life means nothing other than the Divine chance to reach others with the Good News. Death is no longer a fearful thing, but an advancement.
God give us the peaceful, fulfilled, and rewarding life of ministry-softened soldiers. Let the world see that we place no faith in it - but in its Creator. Let our lives affect other lives as Paul affected Timothy.
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