I have a four year old cousin who, from the time she could walk, did everything I did, said everything I said, and basically wanted to be just like me. I never really thought about it too much until one day, while she was visiting my house, I said something very rude to my mom. The next thing I knew, she had said the very same thing to her mother. I was to blame for her disobedience.
After that, I started to think about how much the younger kids of our congregations, at school, even in our families, look up to us teens. They watch our every move [and so does God]. We are their idea of a “cool person,” and so whatever we do is “cool.” If we act in an ungodly manner, guess who will see and consider that as “the cool thing to do”? If we are not careful in the way we act, we could unintentionally lead someone to disobedience. God tells the youth to be examples in I 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.”
Strive to be a good example! Be someone’s role model! Find a younger kid in your congregation and notice them, talk to them – you could even study the Bible with them. Let them see your love for God, your faith, your devotion, and your attitude toward worship. Then their love for God, their faith, their devotion, and their attitude toward worship will start to grow.
I believe that it would be awful for someone to be forever lost because of the way they saw me act. We should also remember that even if a little kid isn’t around to see us, God is ALWAYS watching close by. So in closing, think about your actions, remember who you represent, and that someone is always watching.
Meditate on these things;
Give yourself entirely to them,
That your progress may be evident to all.”
1 Timothy 4:15
