September 04, 2026 | Be Connected
Instructions for Timothy as Pastor
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:22-25(NIV)
22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
Devotional
In the previous section (verses 17-21) Paul gave instructions for how the church should treat their pastoral leaders. Now he turns his attention directly to Timothy himself, a pastoral leader of the church in Ephesus.
Lay hands on people as you pray for them.
Keep yourself physically healthy.
Keep yourself spiritually pure.
Do good deeds.
In the midst of the chaos of leading a group of Christians in a hostile environment (Ephesus was a city known for idolatry and riots), Paul needed to exhort his protégé to stay focused and stay faithful. Timothy shouldn’t get so distracted by disturbances that he loses track of what really matters. And he shouldn’t get so acculturated that he caves to carnality all around him.
This applies to all of us. The peer pressure to conform to cultural customs often deters us from doing what God is calling us to do. We might be reluctant to pray at a restaurant, share our faith with a friend, raise hands in worship, stop gossip in its tracks, or turn down someone’s temptation. Why?
It’s not because we don’t know better. Not usually. After we have been a Christian for a while and have read the Bible a bunch, we know how God calls His people to live. Sometimes we just need to be reminded.
That’s what Paul is doing with Timothy. He had spent years traveling with Timothy and training him for this moment. He needed to remind him of who he was and how God called him to live.
Do you have a Paul in your life? Do you have someone who will remind you of the way of God when you are tested and tempted? If yes, let that person know how much you appreciate them. If no, pray that the Lord would reveal someone to you, then be bold enough to ask them to be your spiritual mentor. I guarantee you will be blessed!
