“Act your age!”

 

It is a common phrase that reverberates across generations and cultures. The admonition implies that a mature person is behaving in an immature fashion, not becoming or in concert with their age. But the converse is rarely, if ever, true. One does not usually issue this phrase to a young child. How could they be anything other than a young and immature child?

 

I thought of this phrase when I see the youth of our church. Many of them are believers and they exhibit a spiritual maturity that belies their young age. I have listened to their baptismal testimonies, witnessed their caring fellowship, and heard their prayers. Some of them have only been believers for a few years, yet their spiritual maturity reminds me of many older saints in our church. They have advanced beyond milk and are feasting upon the solid food of God’s Word!

 

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV)

 

I am thankful that God has turned the hearts of our youth to Him at such a young age. I pray that they will continue to devote their lives to God.

 

“Act your age?”

 

Thanks be to God that our youth do not!

 

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.