THANKFUL FOR REMEMBRANCES (2)

“I THANK GOD, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I REMEMBER you in my prayers night and day” – 2 Timothy 1:3

We must be THANKFUL for REMEMBRANCES of praying and being prayed for night and day for God’s Will to be fulfilled: “I THANK GOD, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I REMEMBER you in my prayers night and day” (2 Tim.1:3). We must be thankful for Grace to pray and be prayed for. This passage expresses Paul’s thanksgiving to God and encouragement to Timothy to be bold in facing hardships, reminding him that he was being prayed for and that he came from a family of strong faith (vv.5-6).

Paul had enough excuses to complain or murmur. He was on death row: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand” (2Tim.4:6). Despite him facing imminent death, after his introduction, his opening words were “I thank God” (1:3). Thanking God for Timothy shows that even in the direst of straits we can always find something for which to be thankful. After a horrendous two-week storm, Paul thanked God for food (Acts 27:14-35). Paul was especially thankful for Timothy since all in Asia had just left him! (2 Tim. 1:15). We too can have sound reasons to comfort ourselves with God’s sufficient grace and with His people, just as Paul did!

Paul began by thanking God, which is the lens through which he saw life. His default posture was thanksgiving to God and for God’s work in his life. Gratitude to God is a biblical practice which breathes oxygen into our soul. Abraham Heschel claimed that “much of what the Bible demands can be summed up in a single word – remember!” Here, in what constitutes some of Paul’s final words, we see the truth of Heschel’s claim. The reflection in this passage is replete with direct and indirect invitations to “remember.” In immersing ourselves in these words, we find ourselves in a spiritual practice of remembrance garnished with gratitude

Paul expressed his gratitude to God for Timothy, and shared his thanksgiving with him. He was near the end of his life, facing persecution in prison, and some of the young men he mentored had turned against him or left the faith. He wanted Timothy to know how precious he was to him, informing Timothy that he made it his habit of expressing his gratitude to God and bringing the younger ones into remembrance. Paul was also thankful that he had served God from his forefathers, a comforting thought when facing death.

May the Holy Spirit bring to our hearts and minds people and events that have led us to this point in our journey of faith in Christ. May our meditations guide us through a time of remembrance of the goodness and presence of God in our lives to this point in time.