Youth

"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...Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress." - 1 Timothy 4:12, 15

It can be difficult to be a young person. To be caught between the adult world and the world of childhood- between independence and dependence. To be somewhat on the brink of your life- but still retaining the last few strings of your previous years of adolescence. I find so much encouragement in these words of Paul to Timothy---as well as a hearty challenge.

We are young- full of life- full of energy- full of passion. We have dreams, desires, longings. We are figuring out who we are, who we will be, what we want out of life. We are restless, itchy for change, and we refuse to accept the problems we see in our world. We can be a bit crazy sometimes in our own youth- how many a parent has heard their young adult announce that they just want to quit college and go live on the road like a hippie or a traveling musician? But I think that Paul makes a valid point about how this energy, this enthusiasm and zest for life is to be used. He doesn't condemn it- he doesn't look down upon it- he doesn't try to rationalize it. Instead, he tells the youthful to pour their energy into living a Christ-like life. To set the very standards in their speech and they way they communicate with others. To live a life that speaks of the goodness of the LORD, to love others in a way that reflects the love of the Father, to have a lucid and unshakeable faith, and to be oh-so-pure in conduct and in heart.

I think there is a valuable lesson to be unearthed here. Just because we are young doesn't mean we are automatically silly, crazy, or just naive in the ways of the world. We are suddenly an example for other believers- and this leads me to believe that Paul was encouraging the church not to lose its passion and concreteness. What would it look like for the Church to come alive? To return to the love of its youth? To rekindle the flame of passion for the world to see Him alive and well in the lives of us, the faith-filled generation? That would be world-changing.

Changing the world is not just a fleeting goal of college students. Let our lives of faith in Jesus Christ- from the young to the old- reflect this passion.