Fighting to set an EXAMPLE!

What does it mean to set an example to someone? Who can set an example? How old do you have to be? Is there an age requirement? Well...read this...

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity!" 1 Timothy 4:12

So...the answer...no, there is no age requirement...anyone can set an example for people! The question is, what kind of example are you setting? Is it a good example or a questionable one...or a straight out bad example?!

As we grow up we begin to hold more power with the younger generation following our lead. Thats not just leaders and people who are beyond school...when you were in grade 8 didnt you think that people in grade 12 were the coolest and most grown up people you'd ever met?!...Or when you were in grade 4 you thought grade 8ers were so cool and grown up?! So even a grade 8er should be thinking about the way that they behave and what example they set. Too young you think? To worry about all that?...Well, thats what the Word of God says...dont let anyone tell you youre too young! We should be setting a good example for younger people so that in turn they can set a good example for others younger than them who are looking up to them...no matter how young they still might be!

Lets open it up a little and look at what this scripture tells us to do...'set an example...in speech'...Thats a tough one huh? That may just be the hardest one of all! How often do we speak about people behind their backs?... GOSSIP!...we never stop to think how that would make the other person feel if only they knew the cutting things we were discussing...you only have to think how it would make you feel to walk in on someone saying the same things about you!...hmmm...now theres something to think about!

What about things we actually say to people. In the heat of the moment people will often say something nasty to fulfill their self-gratification...but they dont think how that will effect the person directly...alot of you may not know this story...but Karen Carpenter (from the singing group The Carpenters) died of anorexia because someone said in an article at the start of her career that she was chubby...that began a HUGE downward spiral of years of suffering from anorexia before it finally claimed her life! The things that we say can seriously damage a persons WHOLE life! We need to think about that!

What about dirty or trashy jokes?! How often do we enjoy laughing at a trashy joke? Yeah, its good to have a joke and a laugh...Im convinced God has a sense of humour! But the question is, would you tell Jesus that same trashy joke? Guess what? He hears it anyway! I have been guilty of that lots of times...or even of just hearing someone else say a joke that I dont agree with and maybe I dont laugh at it cause its rude...but I smile politely and dont say anything! Isnt that just as bad? We need to watch what we say! We need to set an example for people in SPEECH! We have it in us to stand up against bad speech...if we have Jesus in us then we have the power to beat this!

'Set an example...in life'...this means watch EVERYTHING you do! What is your life about? Are you the kind of person who goes to church on a Sunday and on a Monday-Saturday people wouldnt even know it? Do people know what or WHO you stand for? And if they do, do they see you live it out? Are you 'walking in the spirit'? (Galatians 5) When you go to McDonalds and get an old burger and you take it back to get a fresh one, does the person serving you know youre a Christian? Are you kind to them or are you rude to them? Do you take it back and get angry with them and demand a new burger or a refund? Setting an example in life means ALL that you do! Even when ordering a burger! I used to work at Hungry Jacks...let me tell you, sometimes you have such a busy day and you are pushed and stressed to the max and all you want is a friendly customer and not a rude or snotty one...it seriously makes such a difference! Are you that person? Are you setting an example in life?

'Set an example...in love'...How often do you see husband and wife relationships where they proclaim to the world that they love eachother, yet at every turn they are bickering and biting eachothers heads off?! How many times have you heard a father tell everyone he loves his children, yet when he has a few drinks he lays into them?! How many times does a son say to his mum 'I love you' but never goes to visit or call her when shes all alone?! How many times does a sister claim to love her brother yet she seems to be so jealous of what he has that she doesnt?! What kind of example are we setting there?...We're saying we love eachother, but we arent showing it! We arent setting a very sound example for others! I've heard so many young people speak about how they never want to get married because their mum and dad got divorced and they dont believe in love...or that they dont know what real love is all about...(read 1 Corinthians 13...that'll give you some help) Its a sad society we live in when people no longer believe in love or believe that love is real...obviously these people havent met Jesus yet! So, what are we doing? Are we setting an example in love? Are we showing people what real love is all about? As I said...read 1 Corinthians 13...that will tell you what real love should be like...or you could just look to Jesus for the BEST example!!

'Set an example...in faith' Well, heres a challenging one! I think that alot of times we can go to church and not have very much, if any, real faith...we go and we enjoy worship and all of that, but when God asks us to step out in faith and do something we say no...we run away...like Jonah, we try to run to the other side of the world...but dont you worry, Gods gonna send that big fish after you!! hahaha! We say we trust God...but do we really? And it doesnt matter how many times we see God prove His greatness in other peoples lives, we still doubt that He will extend that same grace and those same blessings to us when we take a big leap of faith! You know, Jesus said,

"If you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt 17:20

So it really doesnt take a huge amount of faith...but we need to have even just a little bit...so when pay day comes around and theres a stack of bills to pay...take out your tithe FIRST and then say 'now, what can I afford?'...don't say to God, 'Hmmm...sorry God, cant afford tithes this week!' cause God would never say to you 'Ahh, sorry...cant afford to bless you this week!' Take a leap of faith...tithe your money and watch God work the rest out! Take a leap of faith and say yes to that overseas mission trip you cant afford and watch God provide the means to get you there...

I heard a story once of a man who felt called to go overseas...he told the mission team he was going to be going but he had no cash! It got to the day of departure and he turned up at the airport...the team were all saying to him, 'Dude, what are you doing here? You're not going! You have no ticket, no money, no VISA...youre not going with us! Sorry man!' But, he was CONVINCED God was asking him to go! He had to take a quick pit stop at the bathroom and when he walked out, much to his surprise, he was in the country God had asked him to go to! No ticket, no money, no VISA...but an open toilet door to his destination. He sat in the airport for hours and hours waiting for his teams flight to arrive...they were shocked! But, all he had done was stepped out in faith, even though it made no sense, and God provided the way!

Are you setting an example in faith? Are you living by faith?

Finally, 'set an example...in purity' Well, its a tough society we live in. One that doesnt know much about purity! Switch on the TV or watch a movie or buy a magazine and all you see is sex, nudity and all kinds of things like that! Thats not what God designed us for! As Christians, we take the stand that we will wait for the sanctity of marriage! But, so many people dont! Either they 'slip up' and give in to the temptation...or they've been married 3 times before and think that that 'rule' no longer applies to them! Then theres people who dont go 'all the way' but they push EVERY boundary to go as far as they can without having sex and they say 'Thats ok cause we knew where to stop! We didnt have sex!' Did you really? So then WHY did you go as far as you did, cause let me tell you IT WAS TOO FAR!!! Guys and gals...true love WAITS!! No one knows how a relationship will pan out...you might be engaged and everything and 2 days before your wedding you open your ears and hear God loud and clear say 'This is NOT the one for you!' So, you call off the wedding...but how do you explain to your life partner when you finally meet them that you went that far!!

This is a question that used to really haunt me to be honest! This is a bit personal...but I've learnt to deal with it and God has extended His grace to me BIG TIME! I did not keep my purity! Before I became a Christian I gave it away...a few times...to different men! I thought I would find 'real' love that way! But, you know what? In one of those relationships I was abused in...in another he was a real rager...and it keeps going...none of them loved me...they just used and abused me! When I became a Christian I made the decision to also abstain till I got married...but I dreaded EVER telling my husband about my past! But God really broke through to my heart and showed me some AMAZING grace! He showed me that when I gave Him my life, He COMPLETED me and RENEWED me and made me WHOLE again...so any part of myself that I gave away so carelessly in the past, God redeemed! It doesnt make doing it right...but it shows Gods awesomeness and how great His grace really is!!

Dont give away your purity!! Save it for when you know that youve commited your WHOLE life to that person, under God...on paper...in the form of a ring on your finger...in the sanctity of marriage...and that means ANY form of sexual behaviour...even if its not 'all the way'! Treasure and guard your purity with all the strength that God will give you to do that!! Set an example for others in purity!!

You are not too young to set an example...God has instructed you to do it...so dont be afraid to do it!!

Lets fight to set an example!!

Your sister in Christ

FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSE!!

Jodi