1 Timothy 4:12

Hi guys,

I shared this verse on Tuesday, but I really wanted to go into it with a little more detail. I want to share both the NIV and NLT versions, because I like both of them:

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV

"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." 1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

I came across this verse while doing extra credit for my 20th Century History class. This really struck me, because we, as teenagers, are constantly looked at by adults in society as not being mature, being stupid, or always getting into trouble. But as God's children, we can show the world that not all teens are druggies, or idiots, or like getting drunk. We stand out to everyone in the world because we are so different from everyone else our age. And we are different because we have something the teens of society don't -- Jesus.

But we have to stay strong and not fall into the ways of the world. We have to set the example for how believers live, like the verse said. But I think it goes beyond that. As Christians, we set an example for how all of our fellow Christians act too. People that see one Christian acting hypocritical think that all of us are. And we're not all that way. So we have to be an example to the world for how God's people act and think.

So to start, we are to set an example through our speech. I focused on this at lunch on Tuesday, when we talked about how saying anything negative to someone could be taken in a hurtful way, either by the person we said it to or another person sitting around us. In the class I had after it, I realized that watching what I say is WAY harder than I thought it was going to be. Within the first 20 minutes of class, I jokingly told my friend, "I hate you so much!" He knew I was kidding, and I apologized when I realized that I had said it, but that doesn't make it okay. It's still a hurtful comment, and I should never have said it. I have started a really bad habit of jokingly making fun of friends, and being sarcastic. And that needs to stop, because none of that brings glory to the Kingdom. Meg actually has a post about this (it's the post right before this one!)

The second part of 1 Timothy 4:12 talks about our conduct, or the way we live. Look at your life: do you do impulsive things that you regret later? do you push your little sibling a little too roughly (or push them at all) when they bother you? I know I do, and that's not how I am supposed to act. I should pray before I do anything, and I absolutely shouldn't be pushing my sister, even if I don't do it often. So as much for me as for you, I challenge you to think and pray before you act, because that will make all the difference.

The third part of the verse says that we are to be an example through our love. I think that's a pretty straight-forward command. We are to love God and love people. The loving people thing is what gets hard sometimes. Have you ever met someone who's just so mean that you can't ever imagine being within 3 feet of them, let alone being friends with them? Well the bible tells us that we are to love and pray for our enemies. It's hard, yeah, but in the end, it's so worth it. And just think, when other people see us loving the ones who are so rotten to everyone else, they'll question us. And we'll be able to tell them that God loves that person, so we should too. We can bring people into the Kingdom by showing them God's love. Isn't that cool?

To set an example through faith I took as meaning evangelizing. Going out into the world and sharing the Good News of Jesus. It's really easy to think, "Oh yeah, that's no big deal, how hard can that be?" Well it's a HUGE deal. What if God calls you to go to China and evangelize there? Would you go? You could DIE following what God tells you to do. Are you ready for that? Because that is what we are called to do. We have to take up our cross and follow Him wherever He leads us. We have to be strong enough in our faith that we can do that.

The last part of the verse mentions being an example through purity. This is possibly the hardest one on the list to follow. Society tells us that it's okay to have sex before marriage. And God tells us that is absolutely not okay. So which side are we going to follow? Temptation is going to come, if it hasn't already. I know that I'm not the only one who struggles to make the right choice, and sometimes don't. Our relationships need to be free of anything that should be saved for marriage, whether it be touching, or messing around, or going all the way. This is something I am slowly but surely learning. And let me tell you, it is HARD to follow what God wants us to do when situations come up. But think about it, when we are married, it will be blessed by God. Isn't that 100% better in the long run? I don't want to make this into a huge purity talk, but at the same time, it kind of needs to be.

I would like to say that I am NOT saying that I don't struggle with all of these things that I've talked about. Because I do. I'm just learning how to do things right, for a change.

Well, I think that's really all I have to say for now, but I will definitely post more in the future. My parting challenge is that we focus on these things: speech, conduct, love, life, and purity, and try to change how we live our lives on a day to day basis. We are the example to a lot of people on how Christians act.

<3 Rachel