I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.
Philippians 2:20 NIV
Genuine Concern
In a recent online report, Zurich Canada’s Chief Risk Officer, Manuel Lewin, outlines the top five threats facing Canada over the next two years. With insights drawn from the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report, Lewin’s expertise is essential for understanding the challenges coming ahead. The top five risks pressuring Canada over the next two years are economic downturn, labour and talent shortage, inflation, poverty and inequality, and the adverse outcomes of artificial intelligence technologies, misinformation, and disinformation.
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Friends play a vitally important role in our lives. In a healthy marriage, our spouse is our best friend, the person with whom we feel most comfortable and with whom we can talk about everything and anything. But we need other friendships as well – people we know we can count on to come to our aid when we are facing a particularly difficult situation. Paul the apostle had such a friend in his young disciple Timothy. In Philippians 2:20, he says, in speaking about Timothy, “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare.” Timothy had been Paul’s mentee for a long time. He helped Paul in his ministry and stuck by his side when many others bailed on him. He shared Paul’s concern for the Christians in the churches Paul had started and pastored. Even though Paul was imprisoned and couldn’t travel to visit the Christians, he had complete confidence that when Timothy went, it was like Paul being there himself. How fortunate you are if you have a friend like this, a friend who will take care of you and in whom you have complete confidence. As well, be a friend like Timothy.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley