Apostle Paul is writing this letter from prison to encourage his young mentee Timothy.  He knows that Timothy is facing suffering and difficult circumstances.  To encourage him, Paul reminds Timothy of several truths: 1) Paul affirms “sincere” “genuine” faith he has witnessed in Timothy which was passed down from his mother and grandmother; 2) Paul is in prison but unashamed because of his faith in the good news of Christ; 3) Christ is in control and will keep the faith entrusted to him in the present and the future.

Sometimes we may be discouraged in following the “narrow road” and tempted to step back from our faith when facing difficult circumstances.  This is when we especially need people to speak into our lives just as Paul did for Timothy. We need a spiritual friend or mentor to remind us of who we are in Christ, affirm how they have seen Christ at work in us, share their own experiences with God, and walk alongside us through the journey of faith.

Who encourages you to keep the faith? Thank them today!