Attitudes for spiritual partnership

2 Timothy 3: 10-17 - A final charge to Timothy

Partnerships are important. Sometimes the success or failure of a group, church or any organization depends on the integrity of partnerships. Of course we are partners with Christ but in the ground level, its people.Jesus had a partnership with His disciples. The church board is a partnership of committed people.So is the group of Sunday School teachers or leaders in a youth group. I am convinced that partnerships built of biblical principals will provide the vehicle to fulfillment of God's purposes and plans.

As Paul, prepares to leave the scene, he encourages Timothy, his faithful disciple and partner in the ministry to take on the baton and keeping going. In his final charge to Timothy, Paul outlines some defining guidelines, which will do good for any partnerships, especially spiritual ones.

For a partnership to be effective and influential it needs to be mindful of the following:

Attitude to the external

1.   Transparency.

In verse 10, Paul says, "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings." You know everything about me. There is nothing secret or any closet that has skeletons that you don't know. What you see is what you get. Although Paul was so much older to Timothy, yet he lived a very transparent live, so much so that he can say "there is nothing hidden that you do not know". One of the very important key to any partnership is transparency. Many great man fall from grace because there was a hidden closet that no one knew. If we cannot be open and be frank with the other party, we will always have some barriers to our relationship. There will be suspicion, lack of trust and back biting. Open rebuke is better than secret love (Prov 27:5). Transparency will become the vehicle to built relationships, trust and unity. Do we say one thing and mean another. Do we talk nicely to a person and speak ill behind his back. Or is our conversation, "All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Mat 5:37)

2.   Expect Persecution

Verse 10-11, Paul tells about his persecution. And more than that, in verse 12 warns everyone who desire to live a godly life will suffer persecution. If you are having no issues in your committees, and if all is going on well, be weary. Jesus said that in this world we will have persecution. Persecution, trials, accusations and discouragement are all part of the job description for anyone in a partnership or leadership position. That's what the Bible promises. If someone comes and tells you that if you become a Christian all you problems will cease, be warned, its heresy. 

3.   Expect Victory

That's the beauty of a christian life. Paul says in verse 11 that the Lord rescued him from all his persecutions. Job had his trouble, Joseph had his problems, David was running from cave to cave. But at the end God gave them the victory. 2 Cor 2:14 - Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. No matter how difficult the situation is we will always be the victor. In the eyes of the world we may appear as the loser, just like Steven when he was stoned to death but in the eyes of the Master he was the victor.

 Attitude to the internal

From verses 14, Paul challenges Timothy to also focus on his inwards abilities:

• Continue in what you have learned. Practice what you have been taught. Don't just be a hearer only but be a doer of the Word. Put into action. If you cannot be a practitioner, you cannot require the same from others. We need to be models for others to follow. We can't have "sleeping partners". in the work of God. If every christian will do as what he has been taught, the world would have been evangelized in no time. The church will have no lack of resources and manpower. Sadly today we have too many Christians who cannot afford more time than the one hour on Sunday mornings. We have too many Christians who have no care for the lost and too many who don't know the meaning of the Great Commission. 

• Develop a strong conviction.   Timothy has developed a strong conviction for the Lord and for the ministry. Conviction breeds passion. Passion breeds action. His conviction drove Paul like a mad man that eventually led him to face his death in Rome. His conviction led Jesus to the cross. His conviction led Graham Steins to his martyrdom in Orissa. What has our conviction led us to do?  

• Teachable.   Those from whom you learned. We need to remain teachable if we are to grow and be a blessing to others. John Maxwell said that when we stop learning, we stop leading. We learn from our mistakes, from the mistakes of others and from the wisdom of godly man. In a partnership, we always need to listen, learn from the wisdom of others and prayerfully make the decisions.

• Word based.   Let everything be based on God's Word. Not on emotions, threats or consensus. Ultimately its the Word of God that is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I am convinced that if we apply the above, our service will be active, our defenses formidable and the fortitude invincible.