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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
We were all created with two basic, yet, profound needs: to be loved and to love. When we are loved we garner a certain measure of security which enables us to overcome the things we do to get the approval of others. And, of course, the source of said love is of utmost importance. The more we understand God's love for us, the more secure we will be.
When we are loving others we gain a certain measure of significance. The ability to love others without them loving us in return is the essence of freedom and authenticity.
In our text today, the Apostle reminds us that the single greatest tool of effective leadership is the power which comes through a yielded life to God. Of course, when we experience the influence of God in our lives, it is His power that comes through via the presence of the Holy Spirit residing in our spirit.
Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross He said to His followers: “I will not leave you helpless orphans.” The Lord Jesus knew His disciples would be able to do nothing for themselves in the spiritual realm, therefore, He provided us the Holy Spirit who expresses the Lord Jesus in, to, and through the yielded believer's life.
The Lord gave us the Holy Spirit so that we could receive the life of the Lord Jesus. And, when we yield ourselves to Him, He will enable us to recognize the purpose behind weakness, pain and suffering, which is to reveal His person and power.
In the first part of 1 Timothy 4:12 we read, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young." None of us can ultimately determine what others think of us, yet, we do not have to let them define us. Any weakness we experience is useful to the All Powerful One for in our weakness He is strong. Our weaknesses remind us to be defined by God. This is the essence of the first part of today's text.
When Timothy joined the Apostle Paul during his second missionary journey, he was probably in his early to mid-twenties. The Apostle Paul probably penned this first letter to Timothy about fifteen years later. So, it is very likely that Timothy was in his late thirties at the time of receiving these instructions from Paul. In those days, and in their culture, one had to be at least forty in order to be respected by those who were older. Timothy had his work cut out for him, unless he was being defined by God.
In the middle portion of 1 Timothy 4:12 we read, "but set an example for the believers." Literally, the Apostle wrote, "but a pattern be for the believers." The word used here for “example” means to have the imprint of God on one's life.
In the Scriptures, the Lord often uses the illustration of the Potter to describe Himself and He uses the clay pot to describe us. The idea is He is the One who fashions and molds us, if we let Him. This is always His goal, to express Himself to and through the yielded believer.
When the Potter applies the pressure to the clay pot, His goal is always the expression of Himself. When the clay pot allows the Potter to do His work, even though it is uncomfortable, in the end, the Potter forms a worthy pot that will be converted over and over as others are blessed by its usefulness.
There are two things the Apostle tells Timothy to do and both are highlighted by two similar sounding words: let, and set. "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers."
The Apostle reminds us to allow His imprint in our lives and to let it show in two specific areas: in our speech and in our lifestyle. Then the Apostle gives three qualities which ought to come through in our speech and lifestyle: love, faith, and purity.
The first is love. The word the Apostle uses here for love is agape which is the word for commitment or willful delight in the object of one's love. Agape is sacrificial love which voluntarily suffers inconvenience, discomfort, and even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return. Agape is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly at the cross.
The second quality the Apostle highlights here is faith which is best translated faithfulness or trustworthiness or loyalty. Faithfulness drives home a consistent trust that others find easy to follow. And, of course, this begins with the leader giving his heart to the Lord daily. Then, by the end of the day, the leader will recognize that the imprint of God was on his life.
The third quality the Apostle highlights here is purity. The Apostle uses the Greek word hagneia to explain purity in the sexual arena. The Ephesians had a distorted view of love due to their culture which was largely defined by the goddess Diana. At the Temple of Diana, sexual immorality was an acceptable form of worship. The teachings of Diana ignored God's definition of sex, to be a physical expression of oneness with one's husband or wife. God gave sex to enhance the marriage. And, without commitment, sex takes on a totally different role in a relationship between two people.
When someone engages in sex outside of the commitment of marriage, it will not take long for them to discover that sex can be destructive. Improper sex is addictive and like all addictions, the more that you do it, outside of marriage, the less payoff there will be. Sex then becomes less powerful and therefore less pleasurable. However, sex within marriage becomes sweeter and more powerful because it is more about giving than receiving. Sex within the marriage is a powerful statement of exclusive commitment and faithfulness to the other person.
Finally, even though Timothy was a young leader, God equipped him to be a great leader. And, the way anyone becomes a great leader is by recognizing the Lord Jesus is the secret to our success as long as he is being defined by Him.
