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I Timothy 4: 12 Don’t let anyone look down on
you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in
life, in love, in faith and in purity. (NIV)
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No matter how much experience we have in the Christian life . . . we must still walk by faith.* |
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It’s hard not to get discouraged about the future of the
church. Our faith in God may be strong but when we look at the generation
following us – well, it might seem like God doesn’t have much to work with. But I contend that there is as much hope for
the church in its young people as there is in us old folks. I know some kids
who are going to set the world on fire for the Lord. I know some middle-aged
people who do nothing much beyond taking up space.
While Paul was specifically addressing Timothy’s situation,
we might apply the same principle to those who are young in the faith, whatever
their chronological age. New Christians
should not feel that their immaturity in the faith makes them less valuable in
the Kingdom. They just have some growing to do.
Physically and
spiritually, we all grow and develop at different rates. We do everything we
can to make sure our children grow up to be strong and healthy – but the pace
at which that happens is not up to us. Spiritually, we do everything we can to
feed and nurture our growth but some people will always lag behind others. To
my friends who feel like a grasshopper next to the spiritual giants, I say with
Paul: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are “young.” No matter
where you are in your spiritual walk, you can still set an example in speech,
life, love, faith and purity.
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In opportunity, in privilege, in the endowment of youth, strength, intelligence, or other of life's benefits, every Christian in some specific sense is better than any other.* |
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