The Importance of Having a Team of Friends

2 Timothy 1; 2 Timothy 2; 2 Timothy 3; 2 Timothy 4
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Scripture

2 Timothy 4

9 Timothy, please come as soon as you can. 10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.

Observation

This was a lonely difficult time for the Apostle Paul. Listen to Paul’s heart in these verses. Timothy, please come …Demas has deserted me …Crescens has gone to Galatia … Titus has gone to Dalmatia …Only Luke is with me …Bring Mark with you! And earlier in chapter two Paul said, “As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes.”

Usually when we think of the Apostle Paul we think of someone that is always having victory in his life, but when we read 2 Timothy we realize that Paul at the end of his life was having it very tough and it was a lonely time. Not everyone that surrounded Paul turned out to be helpful to him.

What were important to Paul when he was close to death were his friends, those that he had invested time and energy into in the past. “Only Luke is with me” sounds like a remark from someone that was used to having the strength of many friends close by and so it is not surprising that we hear Paul saying, “Timothy, please come …and bring Mark with you”. He wanted to see his friends. He needed them.

Application

I will work on strengthening my friendships.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for friends. Thank you for the people that you have brought into my life. Help me be a good friend to them.

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