My son is working on college admission applications. That’s a hard time for a parent. I want to give him whatever wisdom I can, prevent him from making mistakes, steer him in the right direction … and yet, of course, there are real limits to what I can say or do. He has to make his own choices, and figure out what God wants him to do with his life. And me? Well, I have to learn to keep my hands off.
In 2 Timothy we can see Paul feeling much the same way about Timothy, the young man he loves as his own son. There is one thing he wants to convey to him above anything else—and it’s what I want for my son, too. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel!” he says. If you forget everything else, remember Him.
Remember your Savior God, who came down from heaven, who became a human being, who lived, suffered, and died on a cross, all of it for your sake. Remember the One who rose from the dead, never to die again, all so that He could give you and everyone who believes in Him eternal, everlasting life and joy—so that you could become the human being God created you to be, in the full glory of your humanity. Remember the One who gives you the Holy Spirit to live inside you, to transform you from glory into glory, making you ever more and more like Jesus Himself, creating a family resemblance in you to the Son of God. Remember the One who sends you out into the world, promising that He will never leave you alone, but He will always be with you—until the day when He returns to take you and all God’s people home for eternity.
Remember Him. Forget everything else if you must, but remember Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, keep my heart always fixed on You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Think of a parent or grandparent who is no longer with you. What is the one thing you remember most about them?
2. What do you want people to remember most about you?
3. What is the most important thing in your life, and how are you communicating that to the people you love?