1 Timothy 4:13 to exhortation

Timothy was a young man who was called by God to preach. However, because of Timothy’s age, there would be many people who would be inclined to ignore the message that Timothy preached. As such, Paul gave Timothy five lessons that he should implement into his life so that his ministry would not be diminished. The first lesson that Timothy was to learn was that he was to be an example to others of the change that happens to one who fully belongs to God. The second lesson that Timothy was to learn was that he was to give attention to three things.

The first thing that Timothy was to give attention to reading the Bible. The second thing that Timothy was to give attention to was exhortation. Timothy was to understand the scriptures so that when he was counseling with people, he could encourage them to do what was right in the eyes of God.

The gift of exhortation is one which every Christian needs to practice. You, at some time will go through some kind of trial that will discourage you. When you go through a trial and desire to give up, it will be good to have someone right beside you who can encourage you in the ways of God. The more trials that you go through, the easier it will be for you to relate to someone else’s trial that they currently face. You can be a comfort to them just as God will bring others into your life to be a comfort to others.

Timothy was instructed to give close attention to exhortation. Everyone likes a little encouragement. If Timothy was quick to give encouragement to others, then when he was preaching, those same people who he had reached out to give encouragement to would be less likely to despise his youth.

Youth tend to be self-centered and thinking only about their own needs. When you are actively in looking for how you can meet the needs of others, others will notice the difference and they will not be so quick to dismiss God’s calling for your life.

If God has called you to do great things for HIM, then you need to start looking for opportunities to minister to others through your words. Be quick to give comfort to one who is down. Be quick to encourage those who you see doing that which is right in the eyes of God. As you look for opportunities to lift others up, you will find that your ministry will grow.

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading,

Timothy is a young man who has the calling of God to preach. Paul is advising Timothy of five things he needs to do in order to ensure that the message he preaches is heard and not simply discarded because of Timothy’s age. The first thing Timothy was to do was to set an example. The second thing Paul instructed Timothy to do was to give personal attention to three areas of his life in order to improve himself.

The first area that Timothy was to give attendance to was reading. Timothy was to continue to educate himself so that others would not look down on him. When Jesus was 12, we know that Jesus was in the Temple and that the religious leaders were astonished at Jesus’ wisdom. At first, the religious leaders probably were trying to discourage Jesus from talking since we all know that a 12 year old does not know nearly as much as a trained religious leaders. However, because of who he was, by the time Jesus’ parents found him in the temple, the religious leaders were astonished at Jesus.

People are quick to discount youth because of a lack of education. Paul was instructing Timothy to give attention to reading. By taking the time to read, most importantly the scriptures, Timothy would have a better understanding to talk authoritatively to those who God brought to him to minister to. By understanding the law, the prophets, the judges, Timothy could effectively preach to those around him of the evidences that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.

If you are young and you desire to be used of God, you need to take the time to understand the scriptures. You must take the time to read and know the scriptures so that you can apply the scriptures to everyday problems. Solomon once said that there is nothing new under the son and as such, your understanding of the scriptures will help you be more effective for the kingdom of God.

Give attention to the word of God because the better you know it, the harder it will be for someone to discount your ministry. Give attention to your spiritual education. Your spiritual education will determine just how much God can use you to touch the lives of others.

1 Timothy 4:12 in purity.

Timothy is a young man who has been called by God to preach the gospel. Paul is advising Timothy on the things that he should do so that his message is not ignored by people who think Timothy might be too young to fully understand the deep doctrine of the Christian faith. Paul gives Timothy five things that he must do so as to ensure that no man despised Timothy for his youth.

The first thing that Paul instructed Timothy to do is to be an example to the believers. Timothy was to be an example to the believers in six areas of his life. The first area that Timothy was to be an example is in the words of his mouth. The second area is in his behavior. The third area is in his demonstration of his love for the Lord and his love for his neighbor. The fourth area is in his relationship with the Holy Spirit. The fifth area is in his faith. The six area is in his purity.

Purity begins in the heart. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that if a man even thinks adulterous thoughts, then he is an adulterer. It is a high standard that God has placed upon Christians. We are not only accountable to HIM for our words and actions, but we are also accountable to HIM for our thoughts.

Because of his young age, people were probably watching Timothy very closely to see how he interacted with the young ladies. In fact, Paul tells Timothy that he is supposed to treat the younger women as sisters, with all purity (1 Timothy 5:2). If Timothy did not treat the young ladies as sisters, then people might start wondering if Timothy was using the pulpit to find himself a wife. If Timothy was not first an example of purity to the congregation, his message would quickly be dismissed.

God may want to use you to shine the light to those who need to develop a closer walk with the Lord. These individuals may have a problem with purity. If you are not an example in how to walk in purity, then when you are around these people, you will not be able to help them because they will see your shortcoming in the area of moral purity.

You must learn to remove those things in your life that are hindering you from fully ministering to those around you. Moral sins in your life are one of the biggest things that Satan will try to distract you with so that your effectiveness for God diminishes.

You need to learn what it means to be pure not only in words and actions but also in your thoughts. Pray that God will give you the strength to be an example to others in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12 in faith

Timothy is a young man who has the calling of God to preach. Paul is instructing Timothy how to act so as to ensure that his message is not lost on individuals who believe he is too young. Because of Timothy’s age, it would be easy for others to discount him and as such, Paul instructs Timothy on five things that he must do so that no man can despise his youth.

The first thing that Paul instructs Timothy to do is be an example to the believers. Paul specifically gives Timothy 6 areas that he should be an example in. The first area Timothy is to be an example in is in the words that he uses. The second area is in his behavior. The third area is in his love for his fellow man. The fourth area is that he must properly demonstrate being filled with the Holy Spirit. The fifth area that Timothy must be an example in is his faith.

How could Timothy be a pastor and expect others to follow his example in serving Christ if Timothy first did not demonstrate to those around him that he had complete faith in a God that he could not see. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Every day, as a Christian, we are put to the challenge of whether or not we believe that there is a living God who knows our every action, word, and thought.

It takes faith to believe in a God that you cannot see. It takes faith to follow a calling that may result in others ridiculing you. By being a Christian, Timothy was not going to be the most popular person in the city. Timothy was willing to follow the calling of God. Timothy was willing to hear the still small voice and HE was willing to go wherever the Lord led him and do whatever the Lord desired him to do.

By being an example to others of faith that was within him, Timothy was showing to the church what it meant to be a Christian living by faith. When others saw Timothy living by faith, they would be less inclined to discount him because of his age. His spiritual maturity quickly overcame the excuses that others would make of Timothy’s youth.

If you are young and you are called by God to do great things, then you need to work on your spiritual life to make sure you are an example to others of the faith that is within you. Make sure that your faith is not just the faith of your fathers, but is a living faith. You need to have the faith that you are serving a living God. As you are an example to others of what it means to have faith, God will be able to expand your ministry regardless of your age.

1 Timothy 4:12 in spirit

Timothy is a young man that God is using mightily to help build the New Testament church. Paul is advising Timothy of things that he must do in order to assure that the message God has given to him is not discredited by others because of his young age.

Paul gave Timothy five general instructions of what he was supposed to do so that no one would despise his youth. The first thing that Paul told Timothy to do was to be an example. Timothy was to be an example in six different aspects of his life. The first area that Timothy was to be an example was in his words. The second area that Timothy was to be an example was in his behavior. The third area that Timothy was to be an example was in his love for his fellow man. The fourth area that Timothy was to be an example was in spirit.

The word used as spirit in this passage is also used to mean Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the comforter sent by God after Christ returned to heaven. It is the Holy Spirit who is to help guild us in the way were are to go. By the help of the Holy Spirit, a Christian can discern whether they are doing that which is right in the eyes of God or doing that which is right in their own eyes.

Timothy needed to be an example to the believers of living a life full of the Holy Spirit. If Timothy was to be a leader of a New Testament church, then he first needed to demonstrate to others that God was with him and that God was directing his life. How could Timothy expect to lead others in a closer relationship with God if Timothy had already rejected the gift that God had given to him?

If you desire to be used of God, then you need to first be an example to others of how God is a part of you. If people look at you and see the love of God reflecting through your life, then they will know that the message that you are sharing is coming from God. However, if others look at you and fail to see that the Spirit of God fills your life, then they can find many excuses as to why your message will quickly fade and why they do not need to heed the words that you speak.

The Spirit of God needs to control your life. When you speak, it should be the Spirit of God guiding your mouth so that HE receives the glory. If you are not an example to others in living your life under the influences of God’s Spirit, then do not expect others to follow your example.

1 Timothy 4:12 in charity

Paul is teaching Timothy five things that he needs to do in order to ensure that the message that he preached is not dismissed because of his age. The first thing that Paul teaches Timothy that he needs to do is to be an example. Paul gives Timothy six areas that Timothy needs to pay attention to in order to assure that when people looked at him, they did not see just another youth with a lot of energy, but that they saw an individual who had matured.

The first area that Timothy needed to be an example in was in his words. The second area that Timothy needed to be an example in was his conversation, or in other words, his behavior. The third area that Timothy needed to be an example in was in charity. Love is an important thing. Christ commanded us that we are to love the Lord with all our heart and love our neighbor as our selves. If the world saw that Timothy showed genuine love, then even though he might have been a youth, the love of God through Timothy would expand his ministry.

The world needs to see the love of God reflecting in your life. If the world cannot see the love of God shining through you, then why should they believe the message that you preach. Most youths are extremely self-centered. If Timothy acted just like every other young man and simply did not love the Lord with all his heart or love his neighbor as himself, Paul was warning him that people would despise the message that he preached because the world would not see how the message of Christ has changed Timothy.

If you feel God has called you to be used by HIM to reach others, then you need to first look at your own life. You must be the first convert of what you expect God to do to others. If the message has not changed you, why should it change others?

People are willing to follow leaders who have something to offer. While they may choose not to follow a leader who in their mind is young, they will follow a leader who not only talks the talk but that they also walk the walk. The more that others can see how God has changed you, the easier it will be for them to follow your example no matter how young you are?

1 Timothy 4:12 in conversation,

In this passage, Paul is instructing Timothy what to do in order to ensure that his age was not used against him. Timothy was a preacher who while he was called of God, had the problem that he was not very old and as such, he was probably afraid that some people would not take him or the message that God had given to him very seriously.

Paul gave Timothy five things that he needed to do in order to ensure that people did not discredit him simply because of his age. The first thing that Paul instructed Timothy to do is to be an example to the believers. Paul gave Timothy six things that he should be an example in. The first area Timothy was to be an example to his fellow believers was to be in the area of his words. The second area that Timothy was to be an example to his fellow believers was in his conversation.

The Greek word that is translated conversation in this passage has the meaning of behavior. Paul instructed Timothy that when others looked at him, his behavior should be such that others saw the light of God reflecting through Timothy. It was important that Timothy be careful with his mouth what he said, but it was also important that the actions of Timothy conformed to the words that he spoke.

Paul understood that people know you by the words that you speak, but that they know you even better by the walk that you walk. It does not matter how righteous your conversation is, if people see you living like the devil, they will have absolutely no respect for your testimony. Timothy could have been full of many wonderful words, but if the saints saw him living a life that was more like the world than that of Jesus Christ, the saints would use Timothy’s age against him to prove to themselves why they did not need to listen to the new kid on the block.

If you are young and you desire to do great things for God, then you must ensure that you are not acting like all the other young people your age. The world may condone certain youthful activities, but if you are going to step up to the plate and allow God to work through you to draw them into a more closer relationship with God, then your life must be an example. Your actions must be such that the world cannot point at you and say that you are just an immature youth who still needs to learn the lessons of life. When your behavior is that of a mature adult and you come preaching a powerful message given to you by God, then God will use you to do many wonderful things.

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word,

Paul is writing this letter to Timothy. Timothy may be a young man but he has the calling of God upon his life. However, Timothy cannot afford for people to not pay attention to the message that God has given to him and as such, Paul is giving Timothy several things that he needs to do in order to ensure that his listeners do not refuse to listen to him because they think that he is not mature enough yet.

Paul gives Timothy five things that he must do so as to ensure that the message that he is preaching is heard and accepted. If Timothy is not heard, the church will suffer. The first step that Timothy must do in order to gain the trust of a more mature audience is that he must be an example. Paul gives Timothy six areas that Timothy must be an example to early New Testament Church. By being an example in these areas, the older adults would see that Timothy is not acting like a youth and thus because he was acting in a more mature manner, they would be more inclined to listen to his message.

Paul teaches Timothy that he first needs to be an example in word. This means that Timothy must be bold in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Timothy is speaking with others, the words of Christ should not be far from his lips. If Timothy were to simply act like a youth, then his mouth would not be full of the truth of Scripture. If Timothy’s regular conversation did not match what he was preaching at church, the congregation would say that Timothy’s actions and words do not match and thus Timothy would lose a lot of credence.

Timothy could not afford to talk like a youth. If he was going to be an example to the Church as to what it meant to be a Christian, then Timothy had to change and he had to allow Christ to first change his mouth. The more truth that came out of his mouth, the more those around him would see Christ in him.

If you are a young man or woman who desires to be used of God to do great things, then you must first show to those around you that God has changed you. You can talk all you want about all the things you desire to do, but if you do not allow Christ to change you, the world will see you as just another youth that has great visions but does not have what it takes to put them into action.

All around you, young people are using swear words in their daily conversation. If you allow your vocabulary to be just like theirs, how can you expect God to use you to lead many to HIM? You must be an example to the world and that example starts with your language. If you sound like the world, why would the world want to change and accept the gift of Salvation? If the words of your mouth are glorifying to God, then the world can see the difference and they will see the love of God reflecting through you.