Not Too Young to Serve

    Have you ever been looked down upon or being underestimated simply because you're young? The words, "You're still young, you can't do it", "Let the elders do it, they know better". Sounds familiar right?

      I myself had experienced that kind of feeling when I was so eager to do a certain task but my age kept on getting in the way. It seemed to me that, you should grow older first in order for you to gain the confidence of people in you. 

      In some many ways, age matters. But there's one thing that we could do regardless of how young or how old we are, and that is ministering to others. 

     Ministry is the result of the overflowing blessings that we receive from the Lord. We are so full, that we could not actually contain it, so we pour it out through our service to God and to people in a form of ministry. 

      I remember few years back when I came to know Christ--who He is in my life, what He has done for me, and what He wants from me. As soon as I realized that, I came to repent for my sins and accepted Him as my Lord and personal Saviour. Since then, I wanted to be near Him and so I had my daily devos, I attended Sunday services, and sought godly counsel from godly people around me. Of course, there were bumps along my walk with the Lord. There were times that I stumbled and went cold towards God. But He was just so gracious because He was constantly pulling me back to Him at that time, even up to now. 

     As I went closer and closer to God, there was an urge in me to serve Him in whichever way I could. I wanted to share Christ to others. I wanted to teach kids in Sunday School. I wanted to sing songs of praises to Him in choir. I wanted to enjoy the fellowship of young believers in youth ministry. That 'burden' or desire to serve the Lord had gone deeper and deeper. By God's grace, He let me serve Him in the ministry with the gifts He had blessed me with. Until such time that a BIG task was given to me about six or seven years ago. 

      At the age of 17, I was asked to deliver a sermon for our Youth Sunday celebration. I was blown away. I was astounded. I could not actually believe that they would entrust me with such a huge and arduous task. I told them I was too young to preach, I was not capable, that someone else could do it better than I would. Until it dawned on me the story of David when he defeated Goliath. He was so young that time. He was actually unequipped to fight with Goliath but God delivered Him, He did not fail David, He was faithful. At the thought of how young David was when He fought Goliath, I was moved and I was so blessed and inspired by Him. He did not hold on to his strength, instead he clung onto God. So to speak, I accepted the preaching task. 

     The moment I told my folks about it, they we're like flabbergasted at the thought of me preaching the Word of God in behalf of the youth ministry. They were too protective of me that it felt as if they doubted me and they looked down on me simply because I was too young for the task. I was saddened by the fact that people who are closest to me were the ones who actually did not believe that I could do it. 

       Then I was led to a verse that made me realized that it's not about the age that matters in serving God. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "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."  

       I may grew older than I was six or seven years ago, but still I am not yet in my prime days so I am still young, and there are still people who actually find me incapable of doing things simply because I am young. But God reminded me that no matter how young or old I could be, it doesn't matter. He calls me to be a model to believers and to the yet-to-be-believers with the way I speak, think, and behave. He calls me to minister in His name by living a life to the full-- in a God-honoring manner. 

Let not be our youthfulness be a hindrance for us to share the gospel and the love of God to others. But rather, let us use this youth season of ours to serve the Lord at our utmost. 

As the verse in 1 Samuel 16:7b tells us, The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

You and I are not too young to minister. You and I are not too young to serve the Lord. You and I are called to spread the gospel. It isn't about the age, it's about our heart's desire to honor and serve Him. 

[Author's Note: This is for a devo in youth fellowship of Kabataang Unida Ekyumenikal, a youth ministry in our family church in San Pablo City, Laguna]