1981 seems like an era ago. We're speaking in terms of the 21st century now. Just when I thought 1 Tim 4:12 still applies to me, I find myself using it yesterday to encourage someone else who's in their early twenties. One can argue that 29 is still young but it's relative. Regardless of where I categorize my age in the spectrum of the lifespan, my critical concern lies in the same verse: 1 Tim 4:12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
10 years ago the first part of the verse had the majority of my focus. Being the youngest of 3, the days of growing up was always defined by means of competition...fight to get into the bathroom first, fight to get the last piece of candy, fight for the affection of our parents, alas, life would not be as fun with my siblings if I never had these competitions. I love it. The drive to succeed and achieve the same platform in life as my siblings was always fueled by the first part of that verse.
As I begin this new chapter of my life, I am challenged to shift my focus to the second part of the verse: "..set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity". These are the words that the mentor exhorts young Timothy. My reflection of this verse quickly brings up active actions in my life, in Vintage Church, as a Senior Engineer at Entergy, to my band members, to my parents and family, to my girlfriend, in Valedictorian, and to my neighbors along Perrier St in Uptown, NOLA.
Paul says - "My determination is to be my utmost for His Highest." As my intellectual mentor, Oswald Chambers best put it "To get there is a question of will, not of debate nor of reasoning, but a surrender of will, an absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point. An overweening consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision, though we put it that we are considering others."
Regardless of the way I act to the people around me, my main focus shall be to fear only God, and to absolutely surrender any sense of shame to Him, because Christ was not ashamed of me when He was nailed on the Cross. It is so common to think that we can package Christianity into little cool packets as though Christ needs that.
My thirst for 2010 is to see the Holy Spirit move in my life and around me; that my life may be a worship unto Him, in all that I do and all that I have.
