This kid has no idea how old he is, or rather, how young he is. He loves to help, loves to do things with others, and has a knack for progress. He likes getting things done. When the time came to take care of some of the leaves in the driveway, he grabbed “his” blower, turned it on, and basically ran to the job. Eager (so much so that he forgot his shoes)!
Even in public, when our family goes places for a church or school event, he will find someone who’s not doing anything and take them by the hand, including them in whatever escapade he wants to conduct. He’s not ashamed; he is not bashful.
Paul the Apostle writes a letter to his young protégé, Timothy, encouraging him in the work that he has set out to do. He tells Timothy at one point not to worry about his age, but to do what has been asked of him because of all that is at stake. It goes like this:
“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).
Regardless of his age or what people think about his experience, the call and the expectations are real and at play. Timothy is to set an example for other believers. That example is to reflect the way Christians are to talk, act, relate, believe and be in devotion to Jesus. Age has nothing to do with it, because the call is the call.
Like Timothy or my 2 year old son, we are expected to follow through with God’s call on our lives. We are called to be holy, first in order to bring glory to God, and second to show other believers what God expects. Young or old, it matters not. What matters is faithfulness, and that faithfulness is to be witnessed by others. And all so that the world may know Jesus and glorify Him.
—Pastor Whit