Where are the role models that;children;can;look up;to;in;today’s;society? While we as parents give
our children important character lessons
that;will;influence;their;lives,;many;in-dividuals who have modeled the humility and perseverance of Christ through
countless trials and temptations can
serve as excellent role models for our
children to learn from.
Looking;back;in;time;gives;us;a;vast;re-source of inspiring character lessons. The
apostle;Paul;modeled;courage;in;the;face
of opposition and suffering to spread the
Gospel of Christ. Charles Spurgeon was
touched by the salvation of Christ and
gave his life to preach the good news.
Esther, a Jewish orphan who became
Queen;of;Persia,;risked;her;life;to;save
the life of the Jewish people, who were
about to suffer unjustly.
The Apostle Paul
While imprisoned in a cold dungeon and
chained;like;an;unruly;criminal;under
Emperor;Nero,;Paul;knew;that;his;work
on earth was almost done. In what is be-
lieved to be the last letter that he wrote
( 2;Timothy),;Paul;encouraged;Timothy
and all who read his words to pursue
righteousness, faith, love, and peace, re-
minding;us;that;God’s;Word;is;useful;for
teaching us so that we will be ready to do
the;work;that;God;has;planned;for;us;to
do.;Paul;is;confident;in;whom;he;believes
and is not ashamed to suffer for Christ.
In fact, he welcomes the suffering: “That
is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no
cause for shame, because I know whom I
have believed, and am convinced that he is
able to guard what I have entrusted to him
until that day” ( 2 Timothy 1: 12). 1
Paul,;at;the;end;of;his;life,;is;asking
for;a;cloak;and;his;scrolls,;which;may
have been his copies of the Old Testa-ment.;We;can;see;that;lack;of;worldly
possessions, esteem from others, or rewards in this life were not what motivated him. He was concerned about telling
everyone about the salvation that comes
only from putting your trust in Christ:
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the
dead, descended from David. This is my
gospel, for which I am suffering even to
the point of being chained like a criminal.
But God’s word is not chained. Therefore
I endure everything for the sake of the
elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory” ( 2 Timothy 2: 8–10). 2 Even with
the knowledge of his upcoming trial,
which is mentioned at the end of his
letter,;Paul;had;courage;to;proclaim;the
message of Christ, having confidence
that the Lord was right by his side, giving him strength.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Training in Godly Character
Biblical;Role;Models
By;Cathy;Diez-Luckie
Stained glass window depicting the Conversion of Saint Paul, on the
road to Damascus. This window is located in the Dom of Cologne.
The;apostle;Paul
modeled courage in the
face of opposition and
suffering to spread the
Gospel of Christ.
