Command and teach these things.  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.  I Timothy 4:11, 12

Speaking of being young, I relate to that.  Timothy was probably 20 years younger than Paul. One usually thinks that a person who is older is wiser. That may or may not be the truth.  But this is how it was between Paul and Timothy.

Paul had a word of encouragement for Timothy, his young fellow missionary, Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.  I like the way Paul puts this.  He knew that we have no control over what people think of us but we should not let what people say to be our sure guide.  People did not give us our spiritual vocation, the Lord did.

This is one of the things I struggled with in my own life.  Struggle is probably not the best word but as I look back, I always wanted to be older and wiser.  The truth of the matter is that I was the last of a row of five boys, followed by two sisters. I turned five years old in July.  For some reason my parents sent me off to first grade that September. I finished first grade at age 5 and try as I could, I could never catch my class mate, for I was always one year behind!  That is how I felt, as I look back, for the rest of my life. I graduated from High School when I was 16.  Before I was 21 I had already taught two years of school in Kentucky. Always the youngest it seemed, in this case the youngest teacher. I just turned 21 when I married dear Anna Ruth who was a year and three months older that I was.  I always had to catch up, it seems.

Fast forward to when I was chosen to be Bishop of the Tanzanian Mennonite Church when I was but 34 years old!  Always too young!  That was my story, too young for what I was destined to do.

I am now 87, still too young!  That may be one reason I pled with the Lord for wisdom beyond my years and I am pleased to acknowledge that God answered that prayer through my life, until today. To Him be the glory.