1 Timothy 4:11-16

^11 “Command and teach these things. ¹² Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

The focus we place on generational stigmas today is quite astonishing. I’m a Gen X’er. We are what TikTok calls the feral generation. We drank from water hoses, stayed outside all day because we weren’t allowed inside until dark, and never wore seat belts or helmets. We are also perceived as cynical and disengaged. And we still remember that AOL dial-up sound and the cheat code for 99 lives in the video game Contra. Baby Boomers are known to be hard workers but are often perceived as technologically challenged, stubborn, and stuck in their old ways. Millennials are often perceived as lazy, entitled, and overly reliant on technology. Gen Z is often perceived as being constantly glued to their phones, overly sensitive, and lacking independence. And before the Baby Boomers, there was the Silent Generation. If you were born between 1928 and 1946, this is you. We don’t know much about you, because you were silent. But we all have great respect for this generation because no matter how crappy we think we have it, nothing we’ve experienced even comes close to what you grew up in: The Great Depression and WWII. 

Now, depending on which camp you are in, I’m sure I offended a few and made a few laugh. If you are a Silent Gen. or a Baby Boomer, you’ve been through all the stages. And now, you look at a 15-year-old and think, “What the heck is she doing?” But when you were 15, there was an older woman looking at you, saying, “What the heck is she doing?” And think about it, Gen X! We are the ones who invented the push-up bra! Yet we look at teenage girls and think, “I cannot believe they are wearing that!” We are all in the same boat. It’s just at different times.

As we navigate these seasons, young and old, one thing remains the same: God’s purpose and plan for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 says,^11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (NIV)

Ladies, please listen when I say, “You are not too young to learn, and you are not too young to teach.” The time is always now. And in 10 years, the time will still be now. And in 40 years, the time will also be now! God doesn’t wait until you are a certain age to reveal His purpose and plan for you. God had your plan set even before you were born. Psalm 139:13-16 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (NIV)

Reagan, my 15-year-old daughter, was interning this summer in student ministry. One weekend, she preached her first sermon to our middle schoolers at both services. As a 15-year-old and a rising sophomore, preaching to a group of students not much younger than she is can be terrifying. What if they don’t listen? What if they laugh? What if it doesn’t make sense? What if she forgets what to say? All those thoughts went through her mind, but she did it anyway. She understands that it was God’s plan for her that weekend. Watching her walk with the Lord has been incredible. She knows that God has a plan and a purpose for her future — plans to prosper her and not to harm her. 

Because of Reagan’s faithfulness and obedience to the Lord, she crushed it. And I was there and saw every middle school boy and girl paying attention! Why? Because she was one of them. And that’s a big deal. She wasn’t some 50-year-old woman or man trying to be cool and tell funny jokes just to get the kids interested. And even if she had stumbled over her words or lost her place or it didn’t make sense, God still would have her. Because Romans 8:28 says, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

God has a purpose and plan for all of us. When we choose to trust Him and live according to His purpose, He will use us for good. We just need to stay out of our own way. The noise of the world is loud, causing fear, doubt, and uncertainty. We can lose sight of His purpose by chasing our own desires and agenda. When that happens, we start living a false narrative—one shaped by the world, not by God.

The enemy tells you you’re too young. The Bible says in 1 Tim 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.” Spiritual maturity has no age. I know many women younger than me who are much more spiritually mature than I am. 

The world tells us the Bible isn’t relevant to today’s culture. The truth is “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

The enemy says do what makes you happy. The Bible says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

The enemy says you don’t have what it takes to teach others about God. The truth is God sent us a Helper. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26, 27

Younger women can learn from you and see what it looks like to live a life according to God’s purpose. And you need the wisdom and perspective of an older woman who loves Jesus and has walked the long roads and fought the tough battles that you will face one day. No one is perfect, and you won’t always be the ideal example. But we are all running the same race toward the same finish line. Part of this thing called doing life together is helping each other up when we stumble along the way. 

Beautiful, young women of Eleven22, God has equipped you with the Truth, His Word. And He has given the Holy Spirit to be your guide. You are locked and loaded. Will you choose to fight for the Kingdom, or will you give in to the lies of the world? No matter how young you are, He has a purpose and plan for your life. Don’t wait to begin this exciting journey He has for you. Let Him in and let Him lead!

Lord, I pray for every young woman today battling with the lies of this world. God hold them close to you. Show them the unconditional love of their Father and speak truth that drowns out the enemies lies. Reveal your purpose and plan for their lives. Show them Your Truth. Thank you for your promises and thank you for the purpose and plan in all of our lives. Amen

D