Set 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.
1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)
Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

My friend Alan sent this verse along to me the other day and it's been sort of "tickling" my mind ever since. Now, you'd probably ask why it would do that seeing as how I'm anything BUT young! Well, what's been kind of rambling around in my brain, what I believe God has been pointing out to me, is that we can replace the word "young" with many other words...maybe even "old!"

I say this because very often there are those of us who look down upon or think less of people who aren't like us. Maybe they dress differently. Perhaps they look a bit different. Could be age...young or old. Often it's educational deficiencies...or sometimes educational excellence which goes far beyond the "norm" that is prevalent. Yes, there are many things that we look down upon we human beings; see as less than normal because they are different.

So, I kept listening to this rambling around in my mind and decided to be obedient and sit down to remind us ALL that we need to be tolerant of differences. And, equally as important, if not more important, those of us who are different need to heed what Paul wrote to Timothy..."but set an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

There is little we can do at whatever point we find ourselves about our age or education or marital status or any of a myriad of other things. But what we CAN do, and what Paul tells us, is that we can be an example to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and also to those unbelievers who watch us. We can be the example of how we live our lives, even though we might be different. We can be that example in how we speak, even though we might be uneducated or "over" educated. We can show real and true love toward everyone, even if we might look a bit different. We show our faith in so many ways by living out our beliefs. We can be pure in our actions in every way and in all we do, no matter how we might differ from "normal" people.

Yes, I think that this verse of Scripture applies to everyone, not just the young. We can apply this to our lives no matter who we are or where we find ourselves. It is yet another marvelous example of how to live a Christian life that we find in so many places in the Bible.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David