Be Young at Heart Meaning Adventure
So, here you are, enthusiastic about God's Calling and serving the Lord with vitality and vigor as you sojourn down your Christian path and lo and suddenly, behold ... Here come the pesky Pharisees! They will try just about anything to burst your bubble, but all you have to do is be prepared, and you'll see just how easy it is, to have them thinking twice about their criticism of your youth.
There's a great story about Jesus that matches this situation perfectly. As Jesus entered into the Temple after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He overthrew the tables of the money changers and those making the Temple as a den of thieves. And there were children in the Temple who were singing praises to Jesus. This sorely displeased the chief priests and scribes, and Jesus said, quoting Scripture from:
Psalms 8:2
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength
because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the
avenger.
Matthew 21:16
And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never
read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected
praise?
Perfect Praise!
Come to think of it, there are several things in the Bible that
support and encourage your diligent service to Jesus and spreading
the Word of God in your youth. Let's find some.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, his young protég
é, and told him not to be offended by people who look down on
him because he is young.
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in Faith,
in purity.
Staying Young at Heart Meaning Today
Be an Example!
Want to know what the cool thing really is? It's because of
your youth ... Your lack of experience in worldly (defiling) things
that makes you such a good example.
- In word - In the way you speak.
- In conversation - In your manner of living (when others are looking
and when they're not).
- In charity - In your love and generosity toward all of God's children.
- In spirit - In demonstrating to others that sin is of the flesh and as
Christians we are reborn as spiritual beings.
- In Faith - In being firm and steadfast in your beliefs.
- And in purity - In representing the righteousness of Jesus.
Now, anybody can take scripture out of context and try and make a
point, and some people may try and hinder your service to God by
quoting scripture that says that you must be aged, or seasoned, or
anything else in order to effectively serve the Lord. What the ol'
Pharisees are trying to say is that you should be seen and not heard
because you're a young person. Well ...
Pthhhhhhh!
It's almost a sure bet that most of the Pharisees will tell you that
there's one difference between you and them, and that is, that they
were young once. However ... The bet is probably just as certain,
that they weren't called when they were your age, otherwise, they
surely wouldn't be trying to stifle you now would they?
If you like to have scripture on your side to support you when you're
confronted by this issue, or whether you question your youth inside
of your own self, let's open up the Bible and you'll see that God
most certainly did call young people in Biblical times, and still
does today.
Be Young at Heart Meaning Within
Some of these are reminders of things you learned in the Child of God or the My Brother's Keeper programs, but it's good to review, and
many times the same message can have different meanings when you read them at different times. We also have an adult version of this absolutely intriguing program called Many Called Few Chosen
Let's start with some of the people who God called in their youth to
serve Him:
You're in Good Company!
The prophet Samuel was just a child when the Lord spoke to Him and
gave him prophecy to share with all of Israel:
The prophet Jeremiah was a child when he was called to warn Israel
what would happen if they didn't change their ways.
Jeremiah 1:6
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Joash became the king of Judah when he was only seven years old.
2 Kings 11:21
Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
David was just a boy when he killed the giant Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:33
And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this
Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man
of war from his youth.
Daniel was a child when God gave him the gift of interpreting dreams.
Staying Young at Heart Meaning Hope
It didn't really matter whether the people thought these prophets
were too young to serve God or deliver His Word ... God chose them,
and that's all that matters. You can imagine there were many who
thought these young people were just crazy kids.
Can you imagine having a president that's only seven years old? Or
what about Israel being carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar into
Babylon ... And a child giving them advice of how to get back in
God's good Graces again. Do you suppose it was difficult for them to
heed God's Word, being presented through a child? What you're facing
is nothing new ... You're in good company!
How Old Are You?
Here's an interesting question to ask. Is physical age the same as
spiritual age? When you're reborn, you are born in the spirit. Your
spirit doesn't have the limits of the flesh, like age and pain and
hunger and thirst and fatigue and hot and cold and illness.
You are the
Temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the Temple of the
Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
So, if the Holy
Spirit lives in you ... Are the Pharisees saying that He has to
wait until you're a certain age before they believe what He says
through you? Hmmmmmmm.
Have the Pharisees forgotten that we're all one body (of Christ) and
that we're all different? The Pharisees may not think that the baby
toe is very important, but without it, it's very difficult to balance.
Romans 12:4-16
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members
have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one
members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the Grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the
proportion of Faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that
teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth,
let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he
that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is
evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly
love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving
the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing
instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to
hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them
that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high
things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own
conceits.
Be Young at Heart Meaning Blessing
What about in the world today? God said that young people would
share His Word:
Acts 2:17-18
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall
see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Is that exciting or what? God will pour out His Spirit on the
young people and they will tell His messages to others!
The Pharisees may try and make you feel that you're not smart enough
to spread the Word of God because you're young, but Solomon also, the
wisest man to ever live, was very young when he pleased God by asking
for an understanding heart to judge God's people ... And God granted
him what he requested.
1 Kings 3:7-12
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king
instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not
how to go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou
hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for
multitude.
9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to
judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is
able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked
this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this
thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked
riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but
hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have
given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none
like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto
thee.
Staying Young at Heart Meaning Summary
You have a great advantage being a youthful person. Do you believe
you can make a difference in the world today? God does! Don't let the
Pharisees tell you any different! Be young at heart for God, not man.
Ohhhhhhh!
And one more very important thing ... You must be as a child
to receive the Kingdom
of Heaven within.
Matthew 18:1-4
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying,
Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in
the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and
forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the Kingdom of
Heaven.
The Be young at heart meaning is to choose to be as a child within. Choosing to do so is exactly how to stay young at heart within.
