BE AN EXAMPLE
Scripture Reading--1 Timothy 4:12
"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"
( emphasis added ).
This verse says we shouldn't let anyone look down on us because of our age. Also, we should never act in a way that causes others to reject us because of our immature actions. Youth doesn't have to be a limitation. George Washington was a colonel at age 22, Napoleon commanded the Italian army at age 25, and Josiah was only eight years old when he became king in Jerusalem.
Men don't despise an acorn because it's not an oak. Nor do they look down on an orange blossom because it has no fruit. Youth is a time when we can excel by living an honorable life.
Paul told Timothy to be an "example." That meant he was to be a pattern or model for others to follow. Albert Schweitzer said, "Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." Your life can provide an example for others to follow.
We've all seen concrete birdbaths and statues. They are formed by pouring liquid concrete into a form, a pattern that provides shape and design. A pattern is what Paul meant when he said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" ( 1 Cor. 11:1 ). In other words, we should pattern our lives after God. An ounce of example is worth a pound of advice. A heart for God is the greatest incentive for a Christlike life. Everyone tries to be like someone. To be like Jesus is a blessed possibility! A Spirit-filled life empowers us to be a worthy example to other believers.
It has been said, "You are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely." We can bless others' lives by living the Christ life.
SING A SONG: Sing all stanzas of the hymn "O to Be Like Thee."
--Harold Vaughan--
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