20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
Love for the Philippians ran deep with the apostle Paul, and he was very particular about who to send as his emissary. The task of finding out how the Philippians were doing spiritually required a depth of spirituality. So here we see a glimpse of how his mind worked in choosing his protégés. And since, in these meditations we have encouraged in a number of places to follow Paul’s example, we do well to examine this mental process carefully. This will help leaders to establish wise and godly patterns for choosing others to lead. It will help each of us know the characteristics that are essential in the Lord’s work.
First, a servant of God must have a genuine interest in the spiritual welfare of others. This is the humble characteristic emphasized in the first part of the chapter, “… do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). Christ is the prime example here, for His deep interest in us led Him to His sacrifice and service of redemption.
Second, a servant of God must be of proven worth (this phrase can be translated “proven character”). His life must demonstrate an interest in others. Serving the Lord and His people requires a genuineness, a solidness that can only be seen over time. “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others…” (1 Tim 5:22). Much damage has been wreaked in the Lord’s work when great responsibilities have been placed on untested shoulders.
Paul recognized there were many unsuitable candidates for the task, men who simply were unproven or whose lives had been shown to be self-centered. This must have been one of the discouragements of his ministry, that there were so few who really had the character to be servants of God. He identified Timothy as an exceptional young man. He had a genuine interest in the Philippians and he had proven his worth (or character) in his demonstrated efforts with Paul in the work of the gospel. Timothy was a great understudy, teachable and submissive to Paul’s mentoring. He was exactly what was needed to connect with the Philippians about their spiritual wellbeing.
It is faithful, proven people that God uses for His work—for it is they who seek the interests of Christ, not their own.
Lord, I pray that You will raise up more young men and women who are able to move beyond self-centeredness and become other-centered.
0 Comments