An interesting experiment

Last week I tried something "novel." I went though the second letter of Paul to Timothy and underlined every reference Paul made to Jesus or "the Lord." I usually read this letter with an eye to what it tells me I should do as a leader. And of course, there is much rich content about that. But my experiment showed me that the dominant presence and the key thought of Paul is on Jesus Christ, his and Timothy's only real leader. My experiment turned up 34 specific mentions of Jesus the Lord. The whole letter has 82 verses, so that's quite a focus. Beyond the 34 mentions of Jesus, is plenty more about what He has done or does. For example, in 1:9 Paul says "He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace..." And he is just warming up. So here's mu suggestion. Think of the things God calls you to do in light of who Jesus is, what He done, and what He promises to do. It is the difference between facing the world alone and facing it with Him out front as your Champion.