On Sunday we looked at Paul’s timeless encouragement to a young pastor, Timothy, to ignore criticisms of his youthfulness and instead demonstrate maturity in character.
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
1 Timothy 4:12
This encouragement is broadly applicable to all criticism targeting things unrelated to truth and holiness. However, though the application is broader than simply the category of youthfulness, it certainly involves no less.
It is an old pattern of God to provide examples of godliness from among the young. He is no discriminator of persons, and it pleases Him to use those the world disregards as instruments of important work.
Who can forget the example of teenage Joseph and his faithfulness while suffering in Egypt (Genesis 37-50)?
Remember Samuel, to whom God spoke as a boy and gave prophetic messages (1 Samuel 3).
See David, a ruddy youth of courage and character who was anointed king while still a lad (1 Samuel 16).
David wasn’t the last king to be singled out by God as a good example while still a youth. To him can be added the reigns of Solomon (1 Kings 3), Hezekiah (2 Kings 18), and Josiah (2 Kings 22).
When the kingdoms of Israel and Judah failed, God sent them prophets to warn about impending judgment, including the young Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1).
Later, during the Babylonian exile, there were the famous exploits of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1-3), as well as the brave young Esther (Esther 2-7).
In the New Testament, we marvel at the faith of youthful Mary (Luke 1).
Even our Lord, while a boy, was demonstrating His wisdom and growing in favor with God and man (Luke 2).
Paul, the author of 1 Timothy 4:12, no doubt recalled that he was still a young man (Acts 7:58) at the time he was saved and then commissioned to a life of ministry (Acts 9ff).
The church is wise to recognize and foster the spiritual maturity of our youth. What a joy it is to see young men and women strong in the Lord, with the Word of God abiding in them, and overcoming the evil one (1 John 2:14).
To cultivate and evoke such faith in our youth, we must not give in to low expectations or the false fruit of emotionalism. We must value truth over experience, faithfulness over fervor, character over charisma, and humility over natural ability. Upon the fresh clay of our youth, the ancient pattern of godliness ought to be impressed indelibly. Then, as Christ is displayed in their lives, let all the church take encouragement from the example. So it has been for millennia. So may it ever be.