Paul exhorts his readers to be imitators of him, just as child in the faith Timothy was. Timothy was sent to the Corinthians to remind them of Paul’s ways in Christ, because Paul could not be there himself. They were servants of Christ, and were meant to be faithful “stewards of the mysteries of God.”
Timothy meekly led by his example, and as such was like the still small voice that educated Elijah. God wasn’t in the impressive acts of power shown by the wind, earthquake or fire. Similarly our example to those around us needs to be one of gentle adherence to the same principles by which Paul and Timothy lived, that we too can be described as Paul’s “beloved and faithful child in the Lord”.