Who is a Christ-like youth and how can I become one?

Youth is a gift. A lovely gift from God that determines the course of one's life.

It's a great period of adventure in a man's life! It's that time in one's life when the mind is full of wonderful ideas, when the body is full of strength, and the heart full of motivation and passion to go on and accomplish great and mighty things which the world is yet to see.

It's that period in life when you should invest your time, talents and energy in worthwhile ventures, in pursuing your dreams and making lasting impact (and not just striving to make a living).

It's when mistakes from guided experimentation and calculated risks are allowed and are less fatal (as long as you learn from them and improve).

Let no one despise your youth

"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" - 1 Timothy 4:12 (NKJV).


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Though the apostle Paul wrote the foregoing text to his protege, Timothy - a young minister - over 1900 years ago, I believe its message very much applies to young people in Christ today.

Here, Paul (of course, inspired by the Holy Spirit), gives us the recipe for a life of influence, such that is worthy of emulation and admiration, regardless of youth.

From this Scripture, we glean the key to living a life that will not only glorify God our father, but will also make us influential figures in our circles, and thus, effective ministers of the gospel.

Now, we'll take a moment to break up the text to understand what's required of us as young people in Christ. Our text again (1 Timothy 4:12): "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in WORD, in CONDUCT, in LOVE, in SPIRIT, in FAITH, in PURITY".