An Example?

Good Morning,

1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
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.

At first blush, this particular verse appears to be aimed at those who might be considered young. After all, Paul says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young..." and that would seem to indicate that this verse WOULD be focused on those who are young. But, those aren't the words that seemed to pop out at me this morning. Yes, of course I saw them, and, again, I was about to sort of just gloss over this verse because of them. However, as I looked a second...and then a third...time at this verse, what spoke to me was at the end of the verse...

"...but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

THESE are the words that have been given to us today, I think, that we should realize what they are telling us and, in that vein, how we should live our lives.

Here's the deal (let's be honest now)...Are YOU a good, solid example in these areas for "the believers" to follow? Maybe even more importantly, are YOU a good, solid example in these areas for those who are NOT believers, but who see you and your actions nonetheless? Hey, I'll be honest with you. Too often, I'm afraid, I am certainly not a good example in some...and sometimes ALL...of these areas. I would imagine that you might say the same thing about yourself. Now, of course, we are our own worse critics, I know. And sometimes we tend to lie to ourselves or tell ourselves things like, "Well, that doesn't matter much. I don't think anyone saw or heard _________ anyway." (Feel free to fill in the blank here.) But, if I'm to be obedient to God's Word and truly BE that example Paul is speaking to Timothy about, I must be honest with myself and, this is the hard part, honest with at least one person in my life to whom I can go and be accountable to.

"...set an example..." Those words sometimes seem crushing to me. Do they speak to you in the same way? What I mean is that I am nobody special and my life very often certainly hasn't been a good example for anyone in what I've said, especially in tough times, in the way I've lived often lived my life, in the ways I've loved and either accepted or turned away love, in my faith in the Lord, nor in being the pure person God would have me to be.

Having said that, it doesn't mean that I can't be, from today forward, that example Paul speaks to in this short verse of Scripture. Even though I'm not one of the "young" that Paul seems to be talking about, and I might even be considered by many to be rather old. You see, I can take this verse and apply it to myself, right where I live, exactly as I am and go on from here. Each of us can do that same thing.

Here's the great part of this idea that's sort of been put into my head. Even if you and I have been anything but a good example up to now, and then we make the decision to change some things so that we become that good example, think about what that might speak to people who will observe such a change in behaviors and speech and love and caring and purity and total faith in God! You know, that, I believe, is the point and focus of this today. I can make the changes I need to make in order to set the good, proper example to the believers around me and to the non believers with whom I will come into contact. And, when I'm asked about why I seem different, well, doesn't that give the perfect opportunity to speak to the power of God in my life?

As the fitness guru Tony Little would say, "YOU CAN DO IT!!!" We might need more than a little help from the Holy Spirit, but, yes...we CAN do it!

Love, peace, and blessings,

David