Essay - Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah Methodist
01 Apr 2014

Bishop’s Message: Youth

Source/Author: Bishop C.N. Fang

We often encourage our young people with the words spoken by Paul to his spiritual son, Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Tim. 4:12) But we often forget that Paul could speak these words only because he had such confidence in Timothy. This confidence grew out of a relationship that had grown out of their close partnership in the Gospel. Paul felt that Timothy was so trustworthy that he could fully represent him and his own love and concern for the Church. To the Philippians he wrote, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. I have no one like him, who will be genuinely anxious for your welfare. They all look after their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy’s worth you know, how as a son with a father he has served me in the Gospel.” (Phil. 2:19-22) The point is that the mutual confidence required for partnership between the young and their elders is a two-sided coin. Timothy had proved himself trustworthy, so Paul could in all confidence, entrust him with great responsibility. The relationship was a father-son relationship. Timothy served his spiritual father in the Gospel. Paul assumed a father’s responsibility in training and encouraging Timothy. The whole Church benefitted because Timothy learned a genuine concern for the welfare of the Church. This is a pattern for the work relationship between our young and their elders today.

Many adults like to criticise our youth, to
point out their faults, and sometimes, to pass judgement on all because of the irresponsible conduct of the few. The young people in our Church today are badly in
need of a vote of confidence. If we open our
eyes to what is happening in Christian circles today, we will discover that our young people are intensely interested in a vital and meaningful faith. In the Church, in the schools, in homes, in the place where they work, Bible Study groups, prayer groups or other forms of spiritual quest have sprung up. In many Churches, it is the young who are in the vanguard for spiritual renewal. They need our confidence. There is no way to measure the positive effects of being trusted. So, when we use Paul’s words “Let no one despise your youth.” we have to remind ourselves of the other side, “Let us not despise our youth.”

Our need for today is not that we can formulate
new ways to voice our condemnation of youth; what we need is more and more dedicated adults Christians who are willing and able to help our youth to channel their enthusiasm and bounding energy into more constructive endeavours. We need to build a trust-relationship based on our intimate partnership in the Gospel. We need to remember that no portion of the scripture is written by the young man, Timothy, yet no other person in all Paul’s letters is so well known. Indeed, we know about Timothy today only because his spiritual father had
such confidence in him, because he loved
and admired him. I challenge our young people to present themselves to God a workman who has no need to be ashamed. (II Tim. 2:15). I challenge our older generations to uphold our youth, to guide them, and - above all - to show your confidence in them.

Bishop C.N. Fang
Gereja Methodist Malaysia

Pelita Methodist
July 1979