Can a Teenager Be a Champion?

Games of strategy have never made much sense to me too much. I can grasp the basic concept and logic behind a simple game of checkers, but I am lost when put behind an army of chess pieces. Sure, I can tell you how each piece can be moved, and that the object of the game is to protect your own king and capture the opponent’s king. I have no mind, though, for figuring out how a move I make one time affects the game as a whole.

Some people do get it, though. I’ve heard of world champion chess players who can plan eight to ten moves ahead, and it blows my mind. Because chess involves so much strategy and logic, many probably put it in the category as a game for adults. However, this was proven wrong by a teenager named Bobby Fischer. Bobby began playing chess at the age of six and, by the time he was fourteen years old, had won the US National Chess Championship. What an accomplishment for anybody, especially a young teenaged boy. Bobby learned right from the start to not accept the idea that being young would keep him from competing on a national level. And for his hard work and unbelievable achievements, he made a name for himself very early on in life, and in a game that was mostly played by people at least twice his age.

In 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul was giving some advice for his young protégé in the ministry to consider. 1 Timothy 4:12 reads, “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.” Too often, the youth group of any church is referred to as the “church of the future.” While that may be true, never forget that they are also the church of the present.

If you are in middle school or high school, don’t let yourself fall for the line of thinking that being a good Christian means that you have to be a certain age or have so much experience as a believer. Paul was essentially saying for you to start right now being that example. Interestingly enough, you’re not just an example to the others in the youth group, although that is very important. As you set the bar spiritually, you are also modeling the way a Christian should live for the church as a whole. Take a closer look at the verse. Notice Paul said that the example is set “for the believers.” That’s everyone, from the babies in the nursery right on through to the senior citizens’ class. You can be and should be an example for everyone in the church.

As you see, there are five specific areas where Paul said that we as young believers are to set the example for the other Christians: speech, life, love, faith, and purity. As you read each aspect, ask yourself what setting in example for each thing would look like. Then evaluate if that is something that you are currently doing, or if there are steps that you should take to put yourself in a position of being a leader in that way.

Remember: being young is no excuse for not living for Christ with all your heart. God wants to use you as a leader in His church. Will He find you ready and available to use you when He wants?