.....growing

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 1 Timothy 4:12

Timothy as a child in Lystra, learnt the Scriptures at the knee of his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, years later as a young pastor, sent by Paul to lead the church in Ephesus,  he faced a problem many of us know well.

Ephesus was a great city, and its church had elders who were older and more experienced than Timothy. False teachers were stirring up arguments, and the believers needed firm leadership. Timothy, by nature, seems to have been gentle and perhaps timid. Paul once had to urge the Corinthians to put him at ease 1 Corinthians 16:10, and he often encouraged Timothy not to be afraid. It would have been easy for Timothy to feel too young, too quiet and too inexperienced for the task.

Paul did not tell him to act older than he was, to raise his voice or to demand respect. He gave him a better answer: be an example. Let your life speak before your words. Show the believers what Christ looks like in the way you speak, the way you live, the way you love, and in your spirit, your faith and your purity. Respect earned by a faithful life would carry more weight than any title Timothy could hold.

This counsel is not only for young pastors. Many of us feel we have little to offer. We are not gifted speakers, we hold no office, or we think others are better qualified to serve. But God does not measure our usefulness by our age, our position or our talents. Ellen White reminds us, "The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others" Steps to Christ, p. 83.

An example is built in ordinary moments: a kind word at home, honesty at work, patience in the hospital ward or the office, faithfulness when no one is watching. These quiet things preach a sermon that people remember long after they have forgotten our words. The world may overlook us, but a consistent Christian life is hard to despise.

In Lystra, Timothy's mother and grandmother teach us to open the Word to the young. In Ephesus, Paul teaches us that whoever we are, our lives can show others what Christ is like. Growing in grace means letting His character shine through us, so that our example points others to Him.