“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…” (1 Timothy 4:12, NIV)
My younger friends, there are two different ways – they’ll sound like opposites when you hear them – that you can lead by example in the area of faith.
First, you can be passionate about what you believe God is calling his church to do. Like Joshua and Caleb, you can lovingly and energetically insist, “God has given us this land! We should go up and take it! With God on our side, we can do it.”
Your enthusiastic urging may be just what the church needs to take a bold step of faith.
The second way you can set a faith example is by humbly submitting to the church’s decision when things don’t go your way. Being willing to step aside when others disagree with the direction the church needs to take shows maturity. The mature person of any age, when the church has sought the Holy Spirit together, chooses to trust the discernment and insight of the people of God. Faith is shown in great measure when a passionate young person submits to God’s direction as he’s spoken to the entire church.
Can we be honest? The first kind of faith is a whole lot easier to express than the second kind. As a young person you are so full of energy for God. You trust God and are willing to risk much for the kingdom. “With God all things are possible,” is your mantra.
But trusting God’s people. That’s another story. You’re just a bit suspicious of those who disagree with what you think you’re hearing from Jesus.
It took me a long time to come to the place where I was willing to accept the fact that God is more likely to speak plainly to the church as a whole than he is to any one individual. I wish it wasn’t true, but trusting the church to hear God’s voice and discern his direction came hard for me. I’m thankful that I have left that mistrust behind.
My young friends, watch what happens in church business meetings when believers disagree on an issue. Passions will be high at the beginning as everyone states their opinion. It can, at times, sound like people are mad at each other. Then something amazing takes place. As the discussion continues, differences start to disappear, opinions are less forcefully pushed. And, usually, a better solution or a better plan than either side could have imagined coming into the meeting is proposed. That’s how God works when his people trust him to speak to the church. I’ve seen it time after time after time after time in the churches I’ve been a part of.
So set an example for believers in faith. Be passionate about your trust in God. Express what you believe he is telling you. Allow him to work in your heart and redirect you when the church meets together and hears something new and better than you imagined.
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