“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” I Timothy 4:12
Children learn from example. According to what Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:5, the faith that Timothy possessed was a result of the life he had seen his mother and grandmother live. As a child growing up in their home, he had watched them live out their faith in the Lord, and so faith arose in his heart.
When my younger son was a teenager, he took note of my daily practice of prayer and Bible reading every morning. He knew that I was praying for him. At the age of fifteen he committed his life to the Lord, and later received a call to preach the gospel.
Now he is pastoring a large church, and one of the principles he instructs his people is to have a “slot and a spot.” It is important to have a time and place each day to read the Word, pray, and communicate with God. In a recent message, he said: “My mother fought a battle for me on her knees, and that is why I am where I am today.”
I know that the verse above is written to a young man just starting out in the ministry. Paul advised Timothy to be an example in five different areas of his life. These should all be important to everyone who is living for the Lord. As we take time each day to communicate with the Lord, we ask Him to guide our steps and help us to be an example to others in every word that we speak in our daily conversations. We ask Him to direct us in ways to show love and compassion toward others. We let His Spirit fill our soul, so that it overflows to all we come in contact with. We ask Him to strengthen our faith, and to keep our thoughts pure.
We may not realize who is watching our lives, and what impact our actions will have on their future. Be the example that God wants us to be so that others will be blessed.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the Godly examples you have placed in our lives. Help us to so live that others will see You in us, and desire to know you.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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