We are special to Him. It does not matter who we are or what we are. No matter how big or small our problems are, He responds to our needs. He said, “Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  It is humbling to think about our status — who are we to receive such favour from Him that He wants us to discover the great things He has stored for us?

Mobile phones have become very popular. People find it uncomfortable if they left their mobile phone at home or when they lost it. More often, it is not the value of the mobile phone unit that matters but the mobile numbers of contacts saved in the phone.

It is frustrating if you have a very important call to make but the line is busy or the person has left the phone at home. Having a mobile phone, no matter neither how extravagant the unit is nor how popular the network site is, can guarantee that you will receive a fast reply to your text messages. If a person is doing something, and you call, sometimes you experience that your call is being dropped.

Though the heavens are lofty and the earth is low, God does not drop our call. When we utter prayers, He listens to us attentively. He immediately dispatches His emissaries and messengers to bring good tidings of hope and joy. He attends to our petitions and brings the timely answers.

How wonderful to think of all the wonderful things He has been providing us through our continuous asking and leaning on Him. We only need to stay connected with Him so our communication with Him will be smooth, not ‘choppy’ or ‘disconnected’.

God is always there to listen to us. However, there are barriers in our communication with Him. He closes His ears when we have disobedient hearts. He refrains to answer when we doubt His ability that He will answer to us. If we are self-centred, He will not answer our silly prayers.  If our request would harm us or others, He will not entertain our pleas.

How can we be so assured of His open ears? First, we need to cleanse our hearts before God and turn from our wicked ways. The bible says, “The prayer of a righteous man prevails much.” Second, we need to be humble before Him and submit to His will. Next, we need to believe His words. We need to claim His promises. According to Luke 21:22, “Believe and you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Timothy was Paul’s young assistant in Ephesus. He was given the great task of supervising the growing Ephesian Church at such an early age. This would be a daunting responsibility, as there were probably a lot of people in that Church who were older and probably more mature than he was. But Paul saw selflessness in Timothy, a disinterest in youthful lusts, that made him spiritually mature than someone of his physical age.

Timothy’s early life had the perfect ingredients to possibly prevent him from doing his ministry. He was an outcast; a sickly half-Greek boy who lacked a father figure. His mother was a social pariah because she married outside their race. This association with her would have led to a life of prejudice and exclusion for young Timothy. Yet whatever his circumstances were, this did not prevent him from finding his peace in Jesus Christ. He superseded his situation. He refused to fit in to the presumptions that people had of him – from the matter of his upbringing to the issue of his youth.

It is not unheard of that older people tend to underestimate youth with a passion for the Word. Often they are boxed in with expectations, to which they are expected to confirm. Judgment comes from the simple matter of biological age. The youth are perceived as frivolous, chasing after worldly possessions. They are susceptible to mistakes. They do not know any better.

This mindset causes them to overlook the wonderful things that the youth can do in the work of bringing God’s kingdom here on earth. They fail to see the fire that these young people have for Christ Jesus, the many ways in which they can be further cultivated for His glory. The youth can do wonderful things for His kingdom. They have the capacity and creativity to make great things happen.

The apostle Paul saw Timothy’s potential to be a good disciple of Christ. He nurtured this passion and Timothy followed his advice well. Paul treated him as his peer. He was not condescending and did not try to appeal to Timothy’s youth. He seldom referred to his young friend’s age, except to remind him to “flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

The task that Paul left to Timothy would be overwhelming to someone of his age. Paul urged Timothy to “…remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1Timothy 1:3, NKJV). This was no easy task but Timothy lived up to his mentor’s expectations. We find out from his story that he was later on incarcerated for his faith and for preaching the Word of Christ.

Timothy’s example should serve as an encouragement to young people who feel like they but a tiny part of God’s work of salvation. Looking around us, we can see what the collective efforts of the youth are capable of. They are doing what they can to change the world. They are growing in their faith and even mentoring others to do the same. The song “Hosanna”, written by Brooke Fraser of Hillsong United, has a line that says “I see a generation rising up to take its place with selfless faith”.

Age and numbers do not matter to God. What matters to Him is your desire to know Him more. Do not fall into the temptations of youth. Do not be discouraged, use your youth as an advantage in your work for His kingdom. Focus on being closer to God. Salvation comes to those who put their faith in Him, regardless of their age.