Acts 16:1-5 NKJV

[1] Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. [2] He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. [3] Paul wanted to have him go on with him. He took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. [4] And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. [5] So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

What was the importance of mentioning Timothy's background and his circumcision? He was the son of a Jewish woman... a devout believer. Timothy was well-known in his community. He carried himself respectfully, and he was highly regarded for his faith. Despite all of that, he was circumcised before joining Paul in his ministry. Why?

Timothy's father was Greek. That had no bearing on Timothy's usefulness in ministry, but there was a part of his past he had to leave behind. His " old paternal heritage" had no purpose for his future of following Jesus.

How often do we allow our "old man" to restrict God's new creation in us? I can't do "this" because I used to do "that." The Holy Spirit is not limited by who we used to be the way we are.

As painful as it is, our spiritual growth sometimes requires us to leave a part of ourselves behind. We can't move towards the future carrying our past. We have to cut old ties to create new bonds. Even when it hurts and we don't understand it, God has a purpose in it.