To a young ministry student,
You are entering into an exciting time in your ministry journey. A few years ago, maybe in a meeting with your pastor or during a youth event, you sensed a call from God to ministry. Or maybe it was more recent, and you have been slowly trying to discern whether you “desire such an office.” Nevertheless, you are here now and training to be a pastor in a local congregation.
In my own experience, this period was one of the most enthralling times of being equipped for the ministry. I was able to sit in classes where I learned about ministry leadership, apologetics, spiritual disciplines, systematic theology, Greek, Hebrew, and more—though I did not always appreciate the instruction at the time. Some allude to such times as the Potter molding the clay. You are malleable and, hopefully, teachable. Yet the clay is quickly drying. Your views on different things are quickly becoming more concrete.
For this reason, I feel a sense of urgency to share with you a charge. As a young(ish) pastor myself, I want to encourage you to assess yourself. I want you to ask whether you are seeking to be the kind of person God has called you to be. If you are interested in ministry, faculty and students implicitly assume that, while you are on campus, you will be leaders to leaders—that you will set an example for other students in the way you live the Christian life.
Paul is redundant in his call for other Christians to imitate him as he imitates Christ in passages like 1 Corinthians 4:15–17, 11:1; Philippians 3:17; and 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9. This responsibility is a heavy one, especially for students as young as yourselves. Nevertheless, God has laid this charge out for you in His Word. Paul, in the pastoral epistles, writes: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12, ESV).
I want to encourage you to think of how you might set an example for those around you, and, as Paul writes to Titus, to be a model of good works (Titus 2:7).
Speech
I find it intriguing that Paul first mentions our speech. Similarly, James highlights speech in his letter. He is clear that our words can be a vehicle for fiery destruction. Yet it is actually by our speech that God has uniquely called us to preach and teach His holy Word. Think about that: your words are meant to help your future flock see the splendid wonders of Christ. You are to use your vocabulary and your education to make words and sentences and sermons that help young and old better understand their place in God’s will and world. This responsibility is huge.
Even so, it often ends up being our speech that gets us in trouble. We are too quick to be sarcastic or snide. Or we are flippant about the things God has told us to be serious about. Let me remind you: if the heart is the wellspring of the soul, then the mouth is the faucet (Prov. 4:23). Make sure that the words you use rightly demonstrate that your heart is the kind of heart that God would have to lead His people.
Conduct
Of course, if you are saying one thing and doing another, you are in a dangerous place. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for this very thing in Matthew 23. Lead by your conduct. This issue of conduct is the precise reason, I think, why Paul is so adamant about a list of qualifications to both Timothy and Titus. He is concerned not just that young ministers would be able to teach or preach the Word but also that they would be worthy of imitation.
Pastors must watch what they say and do. Make sure your conduct is becoming of a young ministry student as you interact with other students in class, attend chapel, spend time in the dorm, and more.
Love
Paul does not just encourage external qualities. He is concerned with our inner lives as well, especially our demonstration of love. We are told to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). We are told to love our spouses and our children (Colossians 3:18–22). We are told to love other believers so that people will know we are His disciples (John 13:35). We are told to love one another (John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). We are told to love our neighbor (Mark 12:31). We are told to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43–44). But we are also told to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). And if Jesus’ command to Peter is any indication of how we are to respond, then, if we love Jesus, we too will “feed his sheep” (John 21:15–17).
The call to ministry is a call to profound love of God and His people. But it is not a truncated love. It is not a one-dimensional love; it is the kind of love that comes from God Himself. We show this God-formed love in the way we care for people. This example is not limited to those extreme cases in your future ministry but includes your roommate, the student across the hall, your professors, your boss, and everyone else. Through your words and work, you demonstrate a kind of love that belongs to the Kingdom of Christ and is rooted in the nature and person of God.
Faith
Paul says that ministers, especially young ministers, are to be examples of faith (1 Timothy 4:12). While we should exemplify resolute belief, I think Paul may mean more than that. We are to be models in professing the faith, in teaching the faith, in standing fast for the faith, and in contending for the faith.
My friends, let us remember that we are people marked by our faith in a true and living God. He is the anchor for all that we believe, do, and say. Therefore, our lives should be marked by the words “I believe.” We believe that God is real. We believe that Jesus lived a perfect life and died on our behalf to take our punishment upon Himself. We believe that Jesus rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We believe that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in those that profess the name of Christ. We believe that God is at work in this world right now. And if we really believe—if we have faith in these things—let it be demonstrated by our lives.
Purity
When we consider a call to purity, we might be tempted to limit it to physical or sexual purity. But as we read through the Bible, we realize that purity, like its cousin modesty, is comprehensive. We should extend the purity that God mandates to every facet of our lives. We are to have purity of actions but also purity of heart and mind and conscience. Let us not defile our conversations and relationships with impure words, actions, or motives. Pursue the kind of holiness that comes only from God.
The Power of the Spirit and the Example of Christ
As you think about the charge that is set before you, you may easily feel over-burdened. You shall talk, walk, love, believe, and persevere in such a way that it sets a profound example for those that are around you. But let me tell you the truth: you are entirely unable to accomplish this task by yourself. If all I did was encourage you to be more moral, then I would have failed. Let this charge serve as another reminder that you are unable to do these things if it were not for the empowering work of the Spirit that comes only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we want people to imitate our good works, then we must focus our lives on the object of our imitation: Jesus. Even more, let us be willing to let the Spirit guide and lead us to be the kind of people He would have us to be. We must be careful to guard the good deposit that has been given to us.
Remember, you should be leaders among leaders.It is time for you to step up and begin setting an example in all the ways the Scriptures talk about. But that requires the fruit of the Spirit and the Spirit Himself. Set an example, knowing all the while that you are following the ultimate example in Christ Jesus.
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