What’s the News? 1st Thessalonians 3:2 Those servants of God whose lives are centered on sharing the Gospel with the lost and witnessing those whom God has saved by His grace grow in the Lord and in faith, naturally hold their dear people close to their hearts. The shepherd's heart has certain qualities that distinguish them among God's people. One of these qualities is the urgency of the shepherd to know how those under his care are doing. He wants to know if they are thriving physically and spiritually. He understands that they will face struggles to some degree because that is true for all who follow the Lord. He is also conscious of the temptations and pressures Satan places on believers to conform to popular culture. The challenges of pressure and simply living for God are unavoidable, but not all new Christians know how to handle them. The caring shepherd longs to help carry the burdens and wants to see those who suffer live victorious lives despite everything they face.
It's challenging to accept that someone else can do what you do, maybe even better. It's hard to realize there are things you simply cannot do because of circumstances or situations you're in. Seeing the faces of those you've led to the Lord in your mind and knowing you can't help them is difficult. It's not easy to pass a major responsibility to someone much younger than you. Giving the responsibility that affects many lives to someone young enough to be your child is tough. Trusting a young man completely is difficult, even though you know he can handle what needs to be done with grace and tact.
Problems often indicate how effective our Christian living is. That’s one reason why a caring, effective shepherd wants to know the condition of his flock. Due to circumstances, Paul, Silas, and Timothy had to leave Thessalonica and go to Berea. Paul went to Athens and sent his fellow workers back to check on the new believers. Silas went to Philippi and Timothy to Thessalonica. This approach remains very valuable to a true shepherd and is one way he cares for those God has entrusted to him.
He is a wise man who understands his limitations and is willing to delegate responsibilities that bring significance to his ministry. It is a wise man who hands work over to another and trusts them to do it without interference. A wise man passes the torch of truth to another and allows that person to carry it in a way that best suits them. It is a wise man who admits he is not qualified, let alone capable, of doing everything. A wise man allows others to make mistakes because he remembers he made mistakes himself. He is a wise man who has learned from his own teachers how to help his students do their best. A wise man can define a delegated task clearly enough for another person to know when they have completed it.
Not everyone can be trusted to represent the shepherd, do what needs to be done for the sheep, and then bring a reliable report to the shepherd. Timothy was the right person for the job. He was a man of God who was mature and "thoroughly furnished unto all good works." He had the heart of a servant [Acts 19:22] and was willing and eager to serve others. We serve God when we serve people. He was a companion [Acts 20:4] who was available and content to work with others. Timothy was teachable [1 Tim.3:10], eager to learn and to fully understand what the teacher sought to impart. He was also genuinely caring and like-minded with Paul [Phil.2:20]. He was trustworthy (faithful) in difficult situations [1 Cor.4:17].
Paul and Timothy shared the same goals that God had placed deep within them. Their minds and hearts were united on the objectives of the ministry they were involved in. Their relationship kept them thinking alike and preserved the fellowship they had in their service. Timothy was a reproducer, a worker with vision and the ability to teach and recognize what was needed by the Lord's people [1 Thessalonians 3:2]. A group of shepherds helps achieve and fulfill the goal.