Have you ever been treated badly because you were young? 1 Timothy 4:12

Adults often look at youth and make assumptions. They dismiss you. They don’t take your problems seriously. They assume you are a whiner. And they don’t give you the benefit of the doubt. They assume you are lazy, or cheating, or selfish, or deceitful.

But what does the Bible say? You know the most popular verse on the subject: “Let no one despise your youth…” But it’s not that easy. How can you force adults to NOT look down on your youth? You can’t just forbid them.

But Paul offers a solution—a strategy. What he says is, ‘don’t ignore or tolerate people despising your youthfulness. Instead, prove them wrong.’ Consider the rest of the verse:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity” 1 Timothy 4:12.

Timothy was an adult at this point, a young pastor—this is not just a verse for teens.

Even young adults in their twenties face these challenges. But Paul says, ‘don’t just tolerate being mistreated for your age. Instead, live a life above reproach. Set the example in FIVE key areas.’

So when you suffer for your youthfulness, ask yourself: Am I setting the best possible example? Can my example actually lead these older adults in these five areas?

• Is my speech cleaner than theirs?
• Is my conduct more righteous, and more self-controlled?
• Do I love better than they do? Do I forgive them well when they criticize and judge me? Am I more humble?
• Do I have greater faith—and does my faith strengthen my walk with Christ every day?
• Am I making pure choices? Not pure compared to the lost, but am I more pure than older, believing adults?

The point is, you should be setting the example—the highest example. Are you? Do you truly live a life above reproach, a life that cannot be questioned?

Here’s a goal—strive to live a life so pure that if your enemies started a rumor about you, everyone would just laugh and say, “Ha ha. There’s no way.” How many politicians and celebrities live like that? How many sports stars or TV preachers? Maybe not many. But you know people who do. There are people you know who would not cross the line. These people live lives above reproach. Join them.

Make it your goal to set an example in these five areas:

1. Speech

2. Conduct

3. Love

4. Faith

5. Purity.

THEN no one will be able to look down on you or despise you for your youthfulness.

Dear God, help us forgive those who treat us badly because of our age. Help us live lives so pure no one can question us. Help us to SET the standard—a higher standard. Make us an example to others, through clean, self-controlled speech, good conduct, deep, forgiving love, total faith in you, and a hunger and thirst for purity. Help us to welcome the challenge of setting the example. But at the same time, help us to be so focused on shining your light to the lost, that we become an example for adults without really focusing on becoming an example. Use us to reach even those who criticize us and judge us unfairly.

ΑΩ