‘Great leaders all have one thing in common. They know that acquiring and keeping good people is a leader’s most important task,’ writes John Maxwell in his book, Developing the Leaders Around You. He urges his readers, ‘Find the best people you can, then develop them into the best leaders they can be.’
The apostle Paul was condemned and in a dark, dank dungeon with just a hole in the ceiling for light and air. He was in ‘chains’ (2 Timothy 1:16 ), ‘like a criminal’ (2:9). He was lonely, bored and cold (4:9–13). Death was inevitable. According to tradition, he was condemned to die by beheading under Nero’s persecution.
This (2 Timothy) is probably his last letter. Paul chose to write to an individual rather than to a church. Timothy was a leader whom Paul had found, trained and developed. Paul was probably in his sixties and Timothy in his early thirties.
As Paul became aware that he was handing on the gospel to the next generation, his greatest concern was that Timothy should guard it (1:11 –14). The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom of the generations before me and the more I realise the responsibility we all have to pass the baton on to the next generation.