Building Trust

Being young is craving change.

We see the mistakes in the world, and we want to do things differently.

If only our elders would listen to us. We know what we’re doing.

Or so we like to think. We need to prove ourselves by building up a set of skills and making our excellence obvious to those in charge.

1 Timothy 4:12 outlines a plan to vault us into the limelight of respect and honor.

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

This verse sets five goals we must achieve if we want those over us to pay attention to our opinions:

Speech – We must speak each word as if the entire world will hear. Chances are, they will.
Conduct – Our behavior is a prime revealer of who we are inside.
Love – Our concern for our fellow man must flow from the heart, and it’s seen in the actions we undertake.
Faith – When God’s love isn’t apparent, and we can still place our trust in him, we’re just about there.
Purity – Our fingers and toes can’t be poking and prodding the world. They’ll come away stained, and everyone will know.

Our example shows our character. Our character reveals our beliefs. Our beliefs underscore the strength of who we are.

People will show us respect when they can trust who we claim to be.

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