“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I Timothy 4:12
Paul charged Timothy to be a good example. Timothy was a young man, and Paul knew that in some ways this could be a disadvantage for him as a leader. We have a natural tendency to respect longevity and experience, neither of which are available to young people. So what can a young person do? Be a good example! For centuries, the older generations were revered and heeded; but in recent decades, we have seen a tendency for popular culture to follow the whims of the younger generations. This focuses a great deal of attention on younger Christians and presents them with a unique opportunity to use this new found influence for the cause of God and right. Imagine what would happen if every saved young person were to take a stand for what they believe in! What would happen if every young believer spoke out about the truth of scripture and the Bible way of salvation? What if every teenager and every young adult who named the name of Christ were to take to heart the exhortation of Paul to Timothy? Be an example in what you say, in how you live, in the way you love others, in your attitude, in your faith in God, and in pure living. Jesus had eleven followers who completely changed the world in the years after He went back to heaven, and I believe it would only take a few good examples to make a great deal of difference in our world today.
Morning: Jeremiah 3-5
Evening: I Timothy 4