“You are just a youth…”

“You are just a youth…” – that was one of the many things that were said to me yesterday by one of the drivers working for us.  In the last month, I have been called everything, from a liar to I don’t really know what I am doing, by this particular driver.  I must admit when I heard him calling me a “youth” I got pretty fired up and I was ready to tear this guy up verbally.  I may appear to be young by some standards, but I have been doing my job for almost 10 years, so I like to think I have gained quite a bit of experience.  I have been doing good not letting what this guy has been saying affect me personally but it is wearing thin.  I take pride in my job and I think I do a good job, and my boss seems to trust me, so this seems like a slap on my face.

Thankfully one of the first few reactions I had was to think about scripture.  Naturally I started thinking about Paul’s encouragement to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:12 “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.”

After pondering this passage a bit, I was both convicted and challenged.  I was challenged at the obvious, not letting anyone look down on me because of my youth.  The second part of the verse struck me because it required me to set an example.  I thought to myself, Paul did just say to set an example for the believers, so that doesn’t include the “non-believers”; so that gives me an “out” since my driver is not a Christ-follower.  Here comes the conviction; I began to think about the believers in my life and the people I pastor.  I also thought of the non-believers that I work with.  What example was I going to set?  In my speech, in my life, what was going to be my reaction?  To cap it off, in my daily Bible reading these are what I read:

Psalm 139:4 “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.”

Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

I got the message loud and clear.  So, even though this driver’s job is on the line, and I have the authority and go ahead to terminate our working relationship if I see fit, I am going to be as professional as I can be and also set an example with what I say and how I treat him.  I hope it will produce a positive outcome.

This is another good life lesson learnt and I pray like King David wrote, that this will lead me in the way everlasting and also that I will be able to set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.