Tuesday’s Devotion: Age Doesn’t Matter

1 Timothy 4:12 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 was blessed this Labor Day weekend to serve as a spiritual director along with four other pastor friends on a three day Chrysalis spiritual retreat for teenage girls.  Some of the girls were very quiet especially at first while others had irrepressible energy.  By the end of the weekend though, it was evident that each had been touched by the talks they had heard, the discussions they held,  and by the fun and silliness and outpouring of unconditional agape love they had received from a great many people both obvious to them and from behind the scenes.  Leadership in Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis spiritual retreats is jointly held by clergy and laity. Some of the lay leaders of this weekend were teenagers who had already experienced a Chrysalis retreat.  Before and after each talk, the speaker is taken to a prayer room and prayed for by a pastor and friends.  One 17 year old spoke whom I have known since she was a little girl.  After her talk she shared with me and one of the lay directors that she now discerned that God was calling her into the ministry.   I was not surprised having witnessed her spiritual maturity and strength of faith during our team meetings leading up to the weekend.  My message to her is that though she has a long road ahead of her as she finishes high school and college and seminary, ministry can begin now.  Serving God is not tied to any age.  We are never too young or too old!  The last hymn John Wesley sang was one by Isaac Watts: “I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath.”  Whatever your age, God has a calling for you to serve others as part of the Kingdom.

Dear Lord,  help us to be open to hearing your voice as you send us out into the world to share the Gospel, help the poor, support the downtrodden and care for the sick and lonely.  Help us to support those who are young and hearing your call and help us to praise and serve you until our last days and then beyond.  In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.