Interests: The Proved Workman

But you know that Timothy has proved himself.

Philippians 2:22

Five years had passed since these friends moved away. Now they were moving back. Everyone in the Christian community virtually vibrated with excitement. Why? What makes some people especially attractive to us?

How pleasant to work side-by-side with a faithful person. They have a special quality about them. They don’t moan and complain about how hard life is, though it’s equally hard for them as for any of the rest of us. No, instead they are dependably reliable. You have known them—they are the ones you never doubt will get the job done. You don’t know how they do it, but consider it done.

The Apostle Paul had such a friend—Timothy. About him Paul said, “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:20-21). The distinctive thing about Timothy—what set him apart from the ordinary Christian—was that he looked out for the interests of Jesus Christ.

He was not consumed with helping people. He was consumed with the interests of Jesus. Whatever was on Jesus’ mind was on Timothy’s mind. Jesus is consumed with helping people, so that is what Timothy did. But helping people was not his goal. Jesus was his goal. The byproduct of attaining his goal (Christ) was that he helped others out of the overflow of his friendship with Christ.

Many Christians get so consumed with their own interests that they have no meaningful concept of the interests of our Lord. The pressure of our debts and duties weighs us down with a heavy load of worry. Score one for the enemy.

Then a fresh wisp comes your way—someone is interested in you only because you are you. The genuine look of compassion sparkles in their eyes.

I’ve never seen that look before, you think to yourself. I have no one else like him.

You are not the first one who has said it. This person is different. They are genuinely interested. Let’s try to be more like that. Maybe we will prove ourselves, like Timothy.

I SURRENDER

Lord, help me to be more interested in others. Help me to take a genuine interest in the welfare of others. I commit not to look out only for my own interests, but those of Jesus Christ. Amen.