Just Be...

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. - 1 Timothy 4:12

I always loved this verse because in almost all seasons in my life, I am surrounded by people who are older than me and am usually intimidated by that fact. This verse always reminded me that no matter the age of those surrounding me, I should not be intimidated by them but show myself as an example. Every time that I have read this though, I always interpreted the verb "show" as "prove" and that has really thrown off the true meaning of the verse. The word for show literally in the Greek means, "to be." When Paul is telling Timothy that in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. He is encouraging him to "be" and example. He is not to "prove" himself an example implying that he is to strive for it, but he is to "show himself" or "be" an example, implying that it was always there and that all he need to do is reveal it. Paul is telling Timothy that God has already taught him all these things and now all he needs to do is live in them. He is not to strive for it, but to just be. For me, maybe God has not fully developed all those traits in my life. However, he has developed some of those in me along with some others that Paul does not mention. Instead of me striving for all those things and trying to prove myself, I must exist in what God has developed in me and just "be." In God's timing and in His perfect will, He will eventually develop those things in me just as He did in Timothy but it is not something that I have to pursue or try to be. Rather as I just exist in who He has created me to be today, He will use me to be an example to those who believe in the areas that He has developed me in just as I am witness to the examples set by others who have learned to exist in the areas that God has developed them in.