Philippians 2:19-24 – I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.
Throughout life, we meet a lot of wonderful people we can live with. Along the way, we are blessed if we find a person we cannot live without. This is how Paul felt about Timothy. Without any son that we know of, Paul loved Timothy as a spiritual son. Without any father that we hear of, Timothy received Paul as a spiritual father.
Their relationship started in a rather odd way. Paul preached in Timothy’s hometown (Acts 14:8-20) and was beaten, drug out of the city, and left for dead. Regaining consciousness, Paul somehow returned to town to preach to the same people who had already tried to execute him once! Timothy likely converted during or sometime after Paul’s first visit, and when Paul returned for a second missionary trip to Lystra, Timothy joined him fully knowing he was putting his own life in danger doing so (Acts 16:1-4).
Over the years, Timothy had proven that he could be counted on for anything. In a word, faith-filled Timothy was faithful. Paul worked with incredible Christian leaders but had “no one like him” which is a massive statement. Why? Because Timothy always did what was best for God and others instead of himself. In a selfish world, it is a joyful thing to find a selfless friend. Are you that kind of friend? Do you have that kind of friend?