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FAREWELL BLESSINGS (TIMOTHY 4:9-22)

REFLECTION
Farewell blessings is the theme for our reflection. Farewell blessings mean parting words or declarations of God’s favour and protection by a person who is travelling or departing from this world. After instructing Timothy on relevant issues concerning church leadership, false teachers, and ministry in the church of Ephesus, Paul leaves him with farewell blessings.

God has given special anointing, grace and authority to parents and people in higher priestly or ministerial authority to declare or pronounce blessings upon those they shepherd and serve. We see how important the blessings of Isaac were to his two sons. We also see the importance of priestly blessings in Numbers 6:22-27, “The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. ”’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Again in Act 4:33, we are told that “… with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” It means that the Apostles could pronounce blessings on people because great grace was upon them. Paul knew very well that he was going to leave Timothy permanently, therefore, as an Apostle and a father, he pronounced on Timothy farewell blessings. He wrote, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all. (2 Timothy 4:22) In other words, Paul’s blessings for Timothy are that his spirit will endure the challenges of the ministry and grace of God will sustain him and the church at Ephesus in their endeavours. Dear friend in the Lord, this must be the parting or farewell blessings for every retiring minister to those in active ministry and the church. Again, it must be the honest desire and declaration of every outgoing office holder to an incoming office holder and from a parent to a child during his or her time of departure. Subordinates, children, dependants and new or incoming office holders and ministers must be in good relationships with their superiors, seniors, parents, elders and outgoing officers so that they would receive their farewell blessings from them to succeed in ministry and in whatever roles they have succeeded or inherited. This requires a humble or submissive character or disposition. How humble are you to your boss at work? Are you respectful and submissive to your parents? Again, as young church agents, are you submissive and respectful to those in authority or positions of leadership?

It is also important to mention that we need selfless leaders like Paul who, even during this time of departure, think of the future and continuity of the ministry of the Lord. Elsewhere, he would not care about what happens after he had left the scene or departed, but Paul left young Timothy a farewell blessings to succeed and excel in the ministry. We must always think about those who will take the mantle of leadership from us and wish them well by praying and blessing them in their future endeavours even as they occupy the same office we have held. We have to remember that position is not possession. Our joy is that we have served and also prepared the present for those coming to take up from us to lead into the future with success and good prospects.

In summary, we have learnt the importance of farewell blessings from people who are ahead of us. We need to be humbled and submissive to receive these farewell blessings to become successful and productive in ministry and any endeavour we find ourselves in.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, help us to be humble and submissive so that we can be blessed through our parents, superiors and those you have appointed to lead us through their farewell blessing. Amen.