Day at the Races: And They’re Off! — Thursday
1 Timothy 4:15
Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. (NLT)
A playwright named George Bernard Shaw once said that “youth is wasted on the young”—which is to say that the energy and freedom that comes with youth is sometimes wasted because of the immaturity and lack of wisdom in the young. I don’t think it has to be that way, though, and Paul didn’t think so either. Paul encouraged Timothy to put that youthful energy to good use by dedicating it to growing in godliness and exercising his gifts.
And here’s a tip on that: You can’t cram your way into godliness. I’ll be honest—when I was in college, I was a grade-A crammer. I felt so overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I always had going on that I would often end up doing just enough at the last minute to get through. It worked for my GPA, but not always for my inner transformation.
It’s taken some painful mistakes, some forced humility, and some really good mentors in ministry and leadership to help me learn the steady rhythms of spiritual growth and the daily choices of personal integrity. Paul told Timothy to “give complete attention” and “throw yourself into” these things. Other versions translate to “practice these things, immerse yourself in them” or “be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them.”
Dedicating ourselves to the pursuit of godliness and good use of our gifts is less about having it all figured out all at once, and more about positioning our life in such a way that we are always growing. We grow as we go. But just as we do most of our physical growth in our younger years, so can we accelerate our spiritual growth in those years, too. It’s a pivotal time for younger folks to be shaped, and a pivotal time for older folks to help do the shaping. The exuberance and energy of youth can be a great blessing to one’s spiritual growth when it is steered in the right direction and channeled into the things of Christ—and who better to help make sure that happens than the mature believers who were once there themselves?
Thursday’s Reflection
There is almost nothing (read: nothing) that is more important or has greater impact than to serve and shape children. Begin today by praying for all those who serve and lead in our ministries for children and students, as well as the youth themselves… and consider getting involved in practical ways to help shape the next generation.
