Struggling to Decide

I started following Jesus at age thirteen, and I constantly got comments such as, “I can’t believe you’re so young yet have a strong faith!†And yes, those comments are lovely, but they secretly struck my nerves. They made me feel belittled. The way people said my faith inspired them was in a tone that suggested my faith shouldn’t be this important to me yet. Even though this probably isn’t what those people meant, doubts started forming in my mind, and one night, I was sick of it. I cried out to God, asking Him why He chose me at this age.

I felt bad for questioning God’s plan and went to read my Bible app on my phone. It just so happened the verse of the day was 1 Timothy 4:12, which starts out, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young…â€

God had answered my prayer. Why did I believe Satan’s lie that I was too young for a relationship with God? Scripture clearly says otherwise. God is infinitely greater than the enemy of our souls—and what He says about us is true. We are called to obey God, no matter what others might think about us! And a few ways to do that are listed at the end of 1 Timothy 4:12: “…in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.â€

I love to write, and I can write about the goodness of Christ. Jesus died for us so He could be with us. And He rose from the dead, forgiving all who put their trust in Him and defeating Satan and his lies forever. Because of what Jesus has done, God sees me and smiles. He says, “There’s my child,†not, “Oh yeah, there’s that young one who follows me. I forgot about her.â€

God never belittles you because of your age. He wants YOU, and you are not too young to have a relationship with Him. • Lily Davito

• In 1 Timothy 4, Paul is writing to Timothy, who is not only a young Christian but also a leader of the church in Ephesus. Like Timothy, you also have gifts to offer the church—God’s family. How might God be inviting you to set an example for Christians of all ages?

• Can you think of a time you felt belittled? God wants to heal your hurts, and He invites you to come to Him with all your frustrations, doubts, and questions.

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)

Read Verses:

Ps.23|Isa.28.29|1Cor.10.31|Prov.2.6