Handwritten letters are a special thing. In this age of instant communication, they hold even greater significance. As a writer, I always feel that I communicate best with pen and paper, but for the Apostle Paul, letters were the only way to communicate. A truth I am extremely grateful for. If he had Skyped the churches he ministered to or FaceTimed his friends, we wouldn’t have access to his spiritual inspiration today.

Paul’s letters to his young prodigy Timothy are especially tender and heartfelt. We can and do benefit from extracting the doctrine contained in the letters and applying it to our lives. This is not wrong. However, I feel we do the text and ourselves a disservice by not enjoying the missives as they were intended to be read—in respect to the one older, wiser man sharing his heart with one he thought of as a son.

Paul’s Pep Talk

The opening sections of the letter are especially poignant. Paul speaks of remembering Timothy’s tears, possibly at their last parting, and of longing to see Timothy again. After the opening greeting, Paul gets to the purpose of his letter, to encourage Timothy to continue to work out his purpose despite his fear. (11 Timothy 1:6-7)

You can understand Timothy’s concern. Paul is in jail because of his faith. Other Christians around him are being actively persecuted, and not just criticized on Facebook! They were imprisoned, beaten, dragged before crowds to be killed by wild beasts. It was not a pleasant time to be a preacher of the Gospel. Still, Paul encourages Timothy to be committed to his calling.

• 1:8 Share in the suffering for the Gospel; Rely on the power of God
• 1:13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching
• 1:14 Guard the good thing entrusted to you
• 2:1 Be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus
• 2:22 Flee from youthful passions; Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace
• 2:23 Reject foolish disputes
• 2:24 Be gentle to everyone

And the list goes on.

Paul wrote from personal experience and God-given wisdom.

Paul knew how easy it would be for Timothy to give in to his fear so he wrote to help his friend fight through it. He knew Timothy would be tempted to choose the easier road of friendship and busy-ness so Paul addressed these temptations and reminded Timothy of the Gospel’s importance. Timothy’s high calling did not guarantee his success. He needed a friend to help him on his journey. The same goes for you and me.

In my ebook, The Wonder Women’s Manifesto, I talk about four typical manifestations of fear and the number one tool God has shown me for fighting it. In Forgetting the Fairy Tale, I talk about struggles women face as they search for their true love. Just as Paul wrote to Timothy in the hopes of encouraging him in his faith, so I write hoping to encourage and inspire others to develop a deep relationship with Jesus and fulfill His plan for their lives. I don’t mean to equate my writing with Scripture, but I do believe God has given me the task of using my words for His glory. I also believe God has given certain words to certain people to share with those in their own circles of influence, regardless of whether or not they ever write a book or blog post.

The power of pen and paper.

I believe in the power of a handwritten page. I believe Paul’s words inspired Timothy to continue in his faith, regardless of how feeble it felt at the time. I also believe that each of us have that same power within us. You might not be a writer, but you can send a thank you note to your parents, letting them know how much they mean to you. You can write a word of encouragement to the person in your church who is having a difficult time. You can even join the “more love letters” movement and write a love note to a perfect stranger. You never know how God might use your written words to impact another person.

You can be an inspiration.

I encourage you to dig out some stationery or steal some of your kids’ notebook paper, grab a pen or a crayon, and get your thoughts on paper. Do you find someone’s faithfulness inspiring? Tell them! Do you have a favorite childhood memory with your mom? Share it with her. Has your child been struggling with obedience? Tell them how special you think they are and see if your words don’t make a difference. The cannon of Scripture is closed, but inspiration is not dead. The Holy Spirit still inspires and motivates God’s children to write truth and encourage the body of Christ. Ask Him for direction and let Him guide your words.