Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:12–16)
As “youngers” in the church, we are to be proactive in our faith in five different ways.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:12–16)
…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:34–37)
Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father… – (1 Timothy 5:1 NASB)
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13)
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. (1 Peter 2:15)
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends… (1 Corinthians 13:1–8)
Living out our faith actively as “youngers” can be inspirational to other “youngers” and as well as those who are older.
“What does it mean to live by faith? The response of faith is nothing more than obedience. Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we respond. Somehow we’ve come to believe that faith removes ambiguity rather than calls us to live in it…The starting point of living by faith is recognizing that God has revealed so much of his will that we have plenty to live by without ever hearing another word.”
– Erwin McManus
No matter how young or old we are, the Gospel will always have the power to shape and change our lives and push us to become more and more like Christ.
