Have you ever felt as if you were too young or inexperienced to make any sort of difference as a Christian? Perhaps self-confidence is an issue for you, and you feel as if there might be someone better than you for the job. But, God needs YOU to be His hands and feet!      

Timothy was a young Christ-follower once too. He was an up and coming leader, but he needed some reassuring in his life, so the Apostle Paul took him under his wing and encouraged him — “Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use”(1 Timothy 4:12-14 The Message).

Timothy isn’t the only example in the Bible of someone who was young becoming an inspirational leader. When I think of a young, Godly leader, I always come back to King Josiah in the Old Testament. His story can be found in 2 Kings chapters 22 & 23.  

Josiah became the king of Judah at the ripe old age of eight. Josiah replaced King Amon as king, when Amon died. Amon was like the kings before him—he was evil and did not follow God, but worship idols instead. Then Josiah, all of eight years-old, becomes king of Judah, and things start to change for the better.  

READ:

2 Kings chapter 22 verse 2

“He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.” 

Josiah could have followed the patterns of the former kings. He could have ignored God in his life, but he didn’t.  He did what was right.    

QUESTION:

In your life right now, is it easy or hard to do the right thing and honor God?  

I would imagine most of us face all kinds of pressures in life: Pressures to be like everyone around us; pressures to keep up with the latest fashions and trends; pressures to cave to physical relationships…we all have pressures.    

Josiah faced pressures. 

But he found something better; something worthwhile to live for. The Book of the Law was discovered, and so Josiah set in place an amazing reformation for the kingdom of Judah. He personally renewed his covenant with God, and then the people of Judah renewed their covenant with God too (2 Kings 23:3). They began to observe Passover again, and in the process they tore down all of the false idols and worship sites for all of the fake gods.    

TRENDSETTER:

Josiah, though young, set a Godly example for others to follow. He was a trendsetter. Even though he faced pressures to cave and conform, he didn’t waver in his love for God. 

Can we be that kind of trendsetter in our lives as well? We might not realize it just yet, but people are looking to us to set a Godly example of what it means to be a Christian. It will never be easy, but with God’s help, we can change the world!