"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are youg, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
That is so cool to remind someone that's young and dealing with those common feelings of inadequacy, inexperience, and just plain "nerves" about doing big and great things. Helping someone relax and just do what they were meant to do is a good thing. Confidence is such a huge thing, and the kind of encouragement that is confidence-building encouragement is the kind of encouragement that bears much fruit. You might never know what sort of good things you set in motion when you speak words like that to someone.
I always remind myself, 'We have the same Spirit inside of us that raised Jesus from the dead, and (thus) we have the potential to do great and mighty things in His Name.'
"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you."
Why is this important? What is it about "body life" and fellowship that is necessary to holy living? Jesus commanded it, and Paul does, too. If we don't quite understand it, I think it's still a good idea to obey it. I always like to know the "why" and "how" about something, so I wonder about this. Maybe faith is like a virus or infection. Maybe there's hidden properties we don't know about that spread when believers come together. Unlike a virus, which makes us sick, this is the sort of spreading thing that makes us healthy. I know in my own life that hearing the Word preached helps me grow in faith, confidence, and inner peace and joy.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at February 20, 2006 09:00 AM