The Book of Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to his friend Timothy. Timothy was a trusted associate of Paul and was an active and faithful missionary and church leader in the Early Church.
The purpose of this epistle or letter was to encourage Timothy and to outline a set of instructions for church leadership and organization.
Some of the most important topics built into this letter include prayer, worship, husband and wives, leadership structure, false teaching, and money.
Of course, within these topics, Paul discusses and highlights the importance of not looking down on young people just because they are young and that is our focus for this article.
What Is the Context of 1 Timothy 4:12?
1 Timothy 4:12 states: “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.”
I love that Paul does not throw out idle words, but he backs up the command with ways to assist Timothy in following it through.
Timothy was to not allow the world to look down on him because he was a younger person than some, but he was to be a man who “set an example for the believers.”
Paul does not stop there but he specifically itemizes the areas in which Timothy was to set that example: in speech, in the words he shared with others, in conduct, in his actions, in love, in how he treated others, in faith, in his belief in God and lastly, he was to set an example in purity or how he treated women and acted with his own body (1 Timothy 4:12).
This list covers every area of Timothy's life. I believe what Paul is laying out here is the idea that we are not only saved for Sundays, but our faith should be embedded into every area of our lives, and like Timothy, we must also become a people who set an example to the world around us and ensure that we are becoming more and more like Jesus.
Paul was a man who knew what it was to offer a whole life to God. He wrote so many places in Scripture about this, but another is in Romans 12. The Message version of this reads:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering.
Isn’t it marvelous that Paul even goes as far as to say, “God helping you,” or as the NIV puts it, “in view of God's mercy.”
Even the Apostle Paul knew this was a life we could never attain on our own, but we would always need God's help. Isn’t it refreshing to know we don’t have to live up to a certain way of being in our own strength!?
Paul also knew what we sometimes forget. It is too easy in life to get caught up with what is going on around us than what God is doing.
So, Paul, in verse 13, fleshes these words out a little by saying Timothy was to devote himself to the reading of Scripture and to never neglect the gifts God gave him.
How Does This Apply to Us Today?
My greatest fear is that I would get to heaven and be a person who never truly or fully used the gifts God gave me to use to build his kingdom.
British evangelist A. Redpath was once quoted saying, “A Christian might have a saved soul but a wasted life — but no follower of Jesus should ever be content with such a place.”
Friend, let this be a reminder that when God created you, He embedded into you gifts and purpose. No matter what your age, or whatever your skill set, please use them up for God's glory, don’t bury them away and hide them.
Not that God will one day owe us a reward or a prize, or that we may become prideful of our own giftings and progress, but so that God gets the glory, and His kingdom is expanded!
Timothy, Paul writes, was to be diligent or focused on the above, but also, he was to watch or observe his own life closely; if not, it could lead to the destruction of those he was trying to lead.
It is so important that Christians self-examine, and ask God regularly to show us, as David would say, “If there is any wicked way in me?” (Psalm 139).
While the above sounds like a very long list of things Timothy needed to do, I feel it is worth once again mentioning all of this would be done with God's help, and it would be a way of life, not a list of boxes to be ticked when Timothy felt like it.
Timothy was also being reminded to persevere even in the hard seasons because it was that perseverance that would save both him and the hearers of the words he shared.
I feel it is worth pointing out here that it is not our good behavior or faithfulness that actually saves a person.
I believe Paul is pointing out here that it is essential to evaluate ourselves so that we do not lead a church or people astray by false teaching and poor behavior.
It is also important that we do so because our actions, our words, and our faithfulness to God are sometimes, and quite often how others come to Christ.
They see things in us that they do not see in the world and that is attractive to those who do not yet know the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4) or the joy that can exist for us when we have trials in our lives (James 1).
These things are noticed by those who live around us, and often, they are what draws an unsaved friend, workmate, or family member to Jesus.
Why Does This Matter?
Friend, it can be easy to look at a younger person and think, what would they know? But God has put us all in specific places, for specific times, and with God-given talents and skills, and life experience.
It is vital that we listen to those around us, and help the younger ones in ministry to grow, praying for them, reminding them of their role when they seem to be going the wrong direction in love, and, of course, mentoring them.
But also listening when they come to us with words from God, or to pray for us, or to teach. We must lean into the knowledge that God can use anyone, any age, and respect our leader in authority, whatever age they may be.
Of course, respect must go two ways, and if we read on into 1 Timothy 5, Paul outlines for Timothy how he must treat the older generations, and those younger than he: with respect, giving proper recognition, and treating them as though he would his own father or mother.
The life of the church is best imaged in that of family. God created us all with relationship in mind, and it is important that we see each other how God sees us, loved! If we see through the eyes of love, we will find it so much harder to treat each other poorly, or dismissively.
So, friend, whatever age you are, there will be those in leadership older than you and younger. You will lead those older and younger, do so in love, not forgetting that God has placed you in this season for good reason, and follow His guidance.
For further reading:
What Does it Mean That ‘Your Young Men Will See Visions’?
Why Is Spiritual Maturity Important?
15 Things Young People Need to Hear Right Now
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/SolStock
