GENERATION TO GENERATION
Sadie Intihar
Today's Scripture: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12, ESV
Theme: Tell me lies like: “I am too young.”
CURSIVE AND PAPER MAPS
As a sixteen-year-old, it seems to me that the divide between different generations often makes communication difficult. It feels as though every generation believes they have everything figured out...and that their way is the only and/or best way. People like to joke about how society is doomed because my generation doesn’t know how to write in cursive or how to use a paper map, but we can’t learn what we aren’t taught, right? While it is true that young people like me have a lot to learn, it is important to remember that we also have perspectives and experiences that are worth considering. For example, even though I personally know how to write in cursive, I rarely need it, and as a new driver, I’m really thankful for digital GPS maps. If I listened to the people who mock my generation, it might make me feel stuck and unworthy, and I know that’s not God’s best for me.
I don’t want my age to hinder my ability to participate in the work God is doing. When Jeremiah was afraid to follow God’s commands because he was too young, the Lord said to him, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” Jeremiah 1:7 (NIV). Young people often feel silenced because of their age, but God calls the young and old alike! God uses the gifts and willing hearts of young people to do His work. Older generations who have seen God’s goodness should be encouraging the young people in their lives to embrace their unique, new experiences and use them for God’s purposes as they find their place in the world. Every voice matters to God.
ENCOURAGED TO SERVE
Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have opportunities to serve others in my areas of interest, including dance, photography, writing, and volunteer work. I volunteer with my mom, working through a drive called Well-Equipped Community and with the Red Cart Project through the Mooresville Kindness Closet. I have been able to lead student participation at my high school with the Red Cart Project, and I have helped my mom find new ways to serve our community. I serve at The Cove by using my interest in photography, and I teach children ballet and tap at my dance studio. I don’t know all the ways God will ask me to use my skills and interests, but I do know that the adults in my life have encouraged me by showing me they believe my ideas and talents are valuable. Because of their eagerness to help me achieve goals and learn more about my interests, I have been able to grow. I believe God has used their faithfulness to help me develop in ways that will continue to serve others.
IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY
We often hear that “It’s never too late” to do something, but what if we also believed that “It’s never too early?” What if we trust God when He says that we are not too young to do what He asks us to do? God called a young David to be king. He called a young Mary to be the mother of Jesus. He called a young Samuel to be a prophet and the same for a young Jeremiah!
God has equipped us with gifts and talents, and He can provide us with opportunities to use them for His purposes, even if we are young. When Paul told his (young) friend Timothy, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12, ESV), it was a reminder that the number of our years does not predetermine what we can do in this world when God calls us. Though we may be young, we can be leaders because we have a strong and loving God leading us.
Make it Personal: I have been fortunate to have adults in my life who believe that God has equipped me to serve and to lead. You probably have young people in your life who need your encouragement to use their God-given gifts, too. Instead of looking down on them for what they don’t know, remember that they can’t know what they aren’t taught. Teach them! Encourage them! Believe in them! Just like God does.
Pray: God, help me to remember that none of us are restricted by our age. When You are the Leader of our lives, we can do anything (Philippians 4:13). Help us to be open-minded about other generations – young or old – and help others to receive our thoughts, ideas, and talents with open minds as well. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Jeremiah 1:4-9; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Psalm 145:4
Weekly Memory Verse: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, ESV