1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." Sometimes, we don't want to listen to others because they are younger, and we tend to think that, just because they're younger, that automatically makes them inexperienced, and not knowledgeable. But experience and knowledge doesn't come with age as much as when something happens. That's why it's called experience. You can be 100-years-old and still be inexperienced. That's one of the things that I don't understand, is when people automatically assume that the young are stupid, and the old are wise. That isn't always the case.
Even if someone has that experience, only the wise will use it to learn. So many have age, and experience, but few choose to use that to create knowledge. The very reason we have these experiences is to gain wisdom from it. I know a lot of people, though young, are very smart when you get to know them, because they used those experiences for wisdom. I'm not saying that all young people are wise, and all old are dumb. I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is, just because you have age, and more experience, that doesn't always mean that you're more wise than people who are younger than you.
One of the things we should use our wisdom for, is to teach others about God. How can we make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) if we don't use the knowledge that we have to teach? Last night, my brother taught his first full sermon, and in it, he taught the parable of the seeds. About how, the seeds that were planted, even though not many of them made it, the seed was still planted. You have to plant the seed. They may not always grow in the faith, but you at least have to plant the seed, and try to teach them. And one of the things we need to do is pray, and ask for wisdom, and keep an open mind, and accept whatever comes your way.
That's another thing I want to talk about. A couple months ago, I was talking to someone about homosexuality, and using the Bible to show her that it was wrong. She, however, was not using the Bible, and wouldn't hear me out. She then called me closed-minded. I heard that, and thought, "How am I the closed-minded one, when my Bible is open, and I'm trying to explain it to you, but you won't listen? How am I the one who's closed-minded?" You can't be closed minded, when your Bible is open. There is a big difference between being closed-minded, and knowing the truth, and standing strong in it.
So, if there is one thing that I have learned is that, no matter what age you are, it doesn't effect how wise you are. Now, some things do take time to learn, but you're not wise, just because you have experience, and just because you're young, that doesn't make you dumb.
Thank you for reading, and please be sure and share your favorite article, and "like" Marvelously Modest on Facebook. :)
