“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me…” 2 Timothy 3:10-11a

Following

When I was in middle school—those emotionally chaotic years of awakenings and firsts—I thought the greatest girls in my school were the cheerleaders. They got to be out front at games and parades, wear short, pleated skirts and lettered sweaters, shake pom-poms, and obviously have more fun than anyone. I wanted to be them.

I knew I couldn’t be a cheerleader—I wasn’t coordinated enough. But I thought maybe I could at least be on the drill team—a step “below” cheerleading. The drill team wore swishy blue skirts and wore white cowboy boots and nylon stockings and got to stay late after school to practice their precision marches and turns. But it turns out that I wasn’t coordinated enough for that, either. I knew I wasn’t. My mom knew I wasn’t, too, but she let me try out anyway, then weathered the heartbreak with me.

“Below” the drill team was the pep squad. I did make the pep squad… everybody made the pep squad. You wore the school colors, blue and gold, on game days, then showed up at the games and sat in a special section of students who yelled louder than anyone else, then went across the street to A&W afterwards for root beer.

I never got to know any of the cheerleaders enough to know if they were people I would want to emulate. The adulation was all in my head, with no basis in reality. Maybe they would have been my friends, but I never got close enough to find out. I always stayed out of the way, watching with a kind of reverence.

Now that I am decades older and wiser (thank the Lord for the grace of maturity), I look to follow women whose faith is real, who follow Jesus Christ in all their ways. I look at the things they say and teach. I look at how they live their lives, especially in the face of adversity and affliction. I look at how they persevere and suffer long—and how they show the love of God.

Paul says Timothy has carefully followed him. I have long looked to the men and women in the Bible for examples of godly living. Their doctrine is made known in their writings, their longsuffering and manner of life in their stories. But today’s Scripture makes me ask: in the life I live, here and now, whom can I carefully follow?

I can now identify “my Paul.” Who is your Paul?

“Father, You have set godly examples among us who live lives that are worthy of being carefully followed. Strengthen those men and women, so that their faith may not fail.” Open our eyes to see their manner of life, and the grace to live that out before others. May we bear Your image in all we do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”