1 Timothy 4:13
“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.”
In this portion of the scripture, Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because he was young, but to set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
This is a popular verse many use to minister to the youth in many youth gatherings and rightfully so. It’s encouraging to young believer in CHRIST, but what’s the context of it? Who was Timothy? And how does any of these relate to us today?
Let me briefly tell you about this guy called Timothy of Lystra.
When Apostle Paul came to Lystra, he met Timothy, and fellow believers spoke well of him. Paul would later write that he saw Timothy as a genuine believer of JESUS CHRIST. In other words, he wasn’t going through the motions because his Mom took him to church, as many young believers do these days.
Timothy was raised in a home that believed in GOD, but at a young age he took a mature step in proclaiming his own faith in GOD. Timothy was all in, not because his family or culture said so, but because he believed.
The first thing I need to tell you is that, even though FAITH IN GOD CAN BE CONTAGIOUS, IT IS NOT COLLECTIVE. IT IS PERSONAL.
Meaning, you cannot use my faith for yourself. You need to develop your own faith in GOD. That was why JESUS admonished HIS disciples to have faith in GOD ...
Mark 11:22
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.”
JESUS once asked HIS disciples after calming a the raging storm in the sea, where their faith was. Meaning if they have developed their faith enough, they wouldn’t have needed HIM to use HIS ...
Luke 8:25
“And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”
Remember what HE told the woman with the issue of blood, who had it in her mind that she would definitely be made whole once she touch his clothes, of which she did and was made whole. HE told her that her faith was the one that made her whole ...
Mark 5:34
“And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
Also, the grateful leper that came back among the ten that were healed was told by JESUS that his faith was the one that made him whole ...
Luke 17:19
“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”
What this is telling you is that your faith is a personal commodity, and you need to develop it to be an example to believers.
How can you be an example in faith when your faith is weak? People follow the ones that have better things than them. How can I follow you when you cannot see your way clear yourself? Was that not what JESUS said ...
Matthew 15:14
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
Today, both young and old are following some young fellows in their inventions. Two quick examples are:
Mark Zuckerberg: Many people forget that when Facebook's founder started swimming in wealth, he was a young college student. Almost everyone knows the story of Facebook, and Zuckerberg's now one of the wealthiest people in the world, at around $20 billion, regardless of age.
Madison Robinson: A 15-year-old Robinson created Fish Flops, originally only selling flip-flops with teen-centric designs. She soon branched out to include other apparel and even a complementary app. Earning $1 million in sales before she could drive!
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP YOUR FAITH?
1. READ, STUDY, LISTEN AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF GOD.
You will have faith in what you regularly expose your ears and mind to.
Romans 10:17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Now, you cannot be doing this, and also be exposing yourself to negative materials and words on a regularly basis. You’ll be negating your efforts in building your faith like the woman that was called foolish in the Bible, who used her hands to pull down her own house ...
Proverbs 14:1
“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.”
Hence, to build your faith, you have to consciously avoid some people and some things ...
1 Corinthians 15:33
“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
Romans 16:17
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”
2. PRACTICE WHAT YOU LEARN FROM THE WORD OF GOD
For good results to show up in your life, you have to be a sort of the WORD of HOD, not just the hearer. It’s not for you to know much, and not do any. Be a doer!
James 1:22-25
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
There are some people that learn so much but do so little. Hence, the results of serving GOD is not evident in their lives, and they make people to think serving GOD does not pay ...
2 Timothy 3:7
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
3. PRAYING IN THE HOLY GHOST TO BOOST YOUR FAITH
When a young people comes in the midst of people older than him or her in a certain field of operation, the tendency for fear or timidity to arise is high.
That was the challenge of Jeremiah when GOD initially commissioned him. He was afraid of the ones he would be ministering to ...
Jeremiah 1:6-9
“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”
1 Timothy was written by Paul to Timothy while Timothy was helping lead the Church at Ephesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to help lead a congregation and not be intimidated by the fact that he was young.
Timothy did all of this, led by the HOLY SPIRIT, while still learning and growing in CHRIST ...
Jude 1:20
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
You need to spend quality time praying in the spirit daily.
