This endearing description of Timothy not only means that he was born again through the ministry of the apostle; it also means that Paul holds him in great love and affection. Timothy accompanied the apostle Paul to a great many of the places where he went.
As believers we have had times of dedication and commitment and yet things grew too much for us and the pressures too great and we had opportunities that we were not up to. Then we prayed and we were marvellously enabled and strengthened. We were upheld and made earnest in our testimony. Because you prayed your heart has been warmed and you've seen things so much more clearly and you've been moved by them very deeply. In the sermons of Calvin you find this constant desire to credit everything to the grace of God.
What are the hindrances to grace? It may be our self-confidence. You are a professional man or woman an expert in your work perhaps, with long experience and capacity. You go out into your day thinking I'm used to this; I can do this.’ Be careful: self-confidence and self-sufficiency extinguishes grace.
How do you impede peace well you're not peaceful yourself. You readily enter into disputes. If you want peace then you are peaceful to others. The man who is constantly abusive to his wife or the wife who is constantly complaining to her husband: what do we do to ourselves? How can we know the peace of union with God when we are unconcerned about self-restraint?