Prophecy or Not, the Words We Speak Have Impact
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. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:16–19 ESV Read More
Paul is entrusting a charge to Timothy to lead the Church that Paul is about to leave behind. He knows that he can’t lead it forever and that Timothy will go on without him, building the Christian religion in the world, in other people that Paul may never know.
My favorite part of this is where Paul refers to “the prophecies previously made about you,” to Timothy. Whatever your take on prophecy in the world today, it’s clear here that something was spoken over Timothy that would propel and strengthen him as he grew up in his faith.
If we speak the words of God to our kids, they settle in.
If we speak the words of angry coaches, disappointed teachers, vulgar movie stars, or shallow motivational speakers, those words will settle in.
When we look for the words that God is saying about a current situation, event, or decision, God often leads us. It might be with an encouraging Psalm, advice from a friend, or a precise phrase from a sermon. Look for those things and when you see them, talk about them. That is the best way for us to train the next generation to do the same.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalms 119:105
All of our walk becomes more visible as we narrate and commend the next generation to follow the Lord. That’s where Christ’s example shows off the most.
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