Stephen Covey, in his classic book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, challenges us with “Habit 2”: begin with the end in mind.
What many of us eventually discover is that the decisions we make early in life shape the outcomes we experience later. Choices made in our youth carry consequences that often cannot be fully seen until years down the road. As we grow older, our ability to connect those dots becomes clearer—sometimes painfully so and sometimes gratefully.
Timothy was a young leader being mentored by the Apostle Paul. He was just beginning his ministry and Paul wrote to encourage, strengthen, and guide him. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul says:
“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”
If I were giving a commencement speech, I would echo these words. How you live, and how you love, matters deeply. Author Annie Dillard said it well: “How you spend your days is how you spend your life.”
Toward the end of Paul’s letter, in 1 Timothy 6:11-12 he offers Timothy a powerful challenge:
“But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you…”
And again in verse 20:
“Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you.”
From these verses, we see three clear calls for how we should live:
1. Flee Some Things
• Run from all evil
• Turn away from sin that seeks to destroy you
Sin often presents itself as pleasure, but those pleasures are temporary. What remains is often pain, regret, and brokenness. Don’t be deceived. What you run from matters just as much as what you run toward.
2. Follow Some Things
• Pursue righteousness
• Seek a godly life
• Grow in faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness
Following Christ is intentional, not passive. As we allow God’s Word to shape our hearts and minds, we become more like Jesus in both character and conduct.
3. Fight for Some Things
• Fight for your faith
• Hold tightly to eternal life
• Guard what God has entrusted to you
Faith is worth contending for. Truth is worth defending. And the calling and purpose God has placed within you is worth protecting.
Flee. Follow. Fight.
Flee what corrupts.
Follow what transforms.
Fight for what matters eternally.
Life is short. The way you live today is shaping your tomorrow and, importantly, your eternity. Don’t wait until the final chapter of your life to figure out what truly matters.
Live for Jesus now.
Begin today with the end in mind.
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