The Monday Memo from John Stanko

Monday Memo 1181: Mary

As we enter Advent and the holiday season, I will post some of my favorite Christmas entries from years past in the coming weeks. We'll start a new series in January, but for now, it's time to glean some purpose lessons from the Christmas story and the lives of those who played a part. Let's start this week by looking at the purpose story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, from my series, "Never Too Young for Purpose."

*****

Mary was a teenager when she gave birth to Jesus, so she certainly is a person of purpose from whom we can learn a lot in our own search for purpose.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Here is the announcement that ushered in the Christmas story:

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:26-38).

God made a decision that Mary was to be the mother of Jesus, and sent Gabriel to make the announcement. We don't know much about Mary since this is the first mention of her in the Bible, but put yourself in Mary's place. She was a young adult. This was undoubtedly her first encounter with an angel. She was engaged, but the angel informed her that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. With all that background, Mary asked one question and only one: "How can this be?"

THE ANSWER

The angel gave her a simple answer: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Mary had as much information after the question as before she asked, for she did not have an understanding of the Spirit that we have today. All she understood was that God was going to make it happen. It's fascinating that she did not ask another question, but simply responded, "May your word to me be fulfilled." That represents great faith, which is required for anyone to find and fulfill their life's purpose.

You may think that Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus, but it was bigger and more significant than that. To identify her purpose, we go a little further into Luke's gospel to see the words of Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, that define Mary's purpose: "Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” It was Mary's role to oversee in faith the promises and mission of her son, Jesus.

Mary was there when the shepherds came to see Jesus, when the Magi came to worship Jesus, when Herod came to kill Jesus, when the elders of Israel listened to and marveled at 12-year-old Jesus, when Jesus began His public ministry, when Jesus hung on a cross, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. If Mary's purpose was to give birth to Jesus, her purpose was finished the day He was born. Her purpose was more than that, however. It was a lifelong role of believing God for her Son's protection and ministry completion.

THE APPLICATION

Perhaps God has shown you something about your future, but you want more information. He has showed you that you will own a business, but your family is poor or not business people. You have asked "How can this be?" and received the same answer as Mary did: "God will accomplish it." But that doesn't mean you don't have anything to do even while God is accomplishing it. You now have to learn how to run a business by studying or working in a business for a season.

Maybe God will help you invent something which you will then use to start of your future business. If it's not business, then perhaps it's something to do with music, education, or sports. I hope you get the idea. God will show you something about your future, He promises to help you do it, and then you get to spend your time cooperating and fulfilling what God showed you. That's how God works, no matter how young or old you are.

I urge you this holiday season to reconsider Mary and her role not only in the Christmas story but also in the life of Jesus. Observe her reactions and responses, and apply them to your own life. Your role is not just to give birth to your purpose; your role is to raise it to maturity so it can bear fruit. May God be with you as we end 2024 and help you make progress on your purpose path in the coming year as never before. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1162: Be Useful

In John's epistle, he gave and repeated the reason he was writing to a group he labeled "fathers."

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:12-14, emphasis added).

While this is addressed to men, Paul had something to say to Timothy about the older women:

Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once and have a reputation for good deeds: a woman who brought up her children well, received strangers in her home, performed humble duties for other Christians, helped people in trouble, and devoted herself to doing good (1 Timothy 5:9-10, GNT).

Now obviously times have changed and Paul would probably write something a bit different if he were alive today, but the main emphasis for fathers and widows was this: be of service to others. The "fathers" were to take their experience knowing God for a long time and distill lessons from those experiences that would benefit others. The "widows" were to "devote [themselves] to doing good." They were to find and create ways to be useful.

For me, being a father and doing good is expressed through writing and being active on social media to help others find purpose and to release creative. It is expressed through publishing—coming alongside mostly first-time authors to help them produce their creative projects. it's traveling to other countries where gray hair is honored to teach about leadership, purpose, and church reform.

I'm a "father' in the church and my life philosophy must be what John wrote a few verses after he mentioned "fathers": "The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever" (1 John 2:17). I'm teaching people what little I know about "doing the will of God" where purpose is concerned and I'll do that until I don't have strength or die.

What is doing good for you? How can you make yourself useful by doing the good you are able to do? Have you retired from God's kingdom work, satisfied with your past record or are you pushing on to share your knowledge of God through words and deeds? What more can you do? What have you thought about doing but dismissed it because of your age (either too young or too old)?

I hear people today dismissing age as "only a number," but I respond, "Yes, but my number is pretty big!" None of us are getting out of her alive, but I'm determined not to cooperate with the typical image of old age. If I understand purpose correctly, we're never too old to find and fulfill it, so I invite you to join me on the road named "doing good." There's no limit to the number of stops you can make on that road if your heart is to serve and your mind is forever young. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1148: Purpose Wisdom

If God appeared to you and asked you what you wanted Him to give you, what would you ask for? Money? A car? A house? A spouse? That actually happened to a young man as we read in 1 Kings 3:5: "That night the Lord appeared to him [Solomon] in a dream and asked him, “What would you like me to give you?" As we finish this series titled "Never Too Young for Purpose," let's see how Solomon responded:

Solomon answered, “You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place. O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule. Here I am among the people you have chosen to be your own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted. So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:5-9).

Most Bible scholars believe Solomon was about 20 years of age. That's pretty young to be the king of a nation. Let's say you are 15 years old when you are reading this. That would mean in five years you are going to be the leader responsible for millions of people. How would that make you feel? While it may be exciting, it would also be a pretty big responsibility that could cause you to be anxious or worried.

While you may never lead a country, God has chosen you to be a leader. How do I know that? I know because you have a purpose and when you know and live your purpose, you will eventually lead as you express that purpose. It may be in medicine or sports or in the field of entertainment, but I am confident you will lead because God is with you and has given you the gifts that set you apart from others. That is no reason to be proud or arrogant, but that should humble you and cause you to recognize that you will need God's help to do what it is He created you to do.

Solomon was young, and when he was given the chance to lead, he didn't see it as a chance to be important or rich. He saw it as an opportunity to serve God and help many people. And knowing that, he knew he wasn't capable of handling it. That's why he prayed for wisdom. Another translation says he asked for a "listening heart." As you flow in your purpose, you should listen for God's voice and wisdom, for you are not alone. God is with you. He will speak to you through others, through His Word, and through His still, gentle voice inside of you where He resides in the power of His Spirit.

God needs more young men and women like Solomon who aren't afraid of being leaders at a young age, but who also know that if they are going to lead successfully, they need God's help. What are you asking God to do for you? To give you? I would recommend that you be like Solomon and ask for listening-heart wisdom. Then when you ask, remember what Jesus' brother wrote in the New Testament:

But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all  But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-8).

Ask for wisdom and watch for God's answer, for He promises it will come. Then have the faith to apply what you hear in the company of other people who are leading with you as you walk out their purpose. God wants you to know your purpose. He wants you to succeed. He will never leave you alone and His words to you as we close are those He spoke to Joshua when Joshua was about to become the leader of Israel:

"I will always be with you; I will never abandon you  Be determined and confident, for you will be the leader of these people as they occupy this land which I promised their ancestors. Just be determined, be confident; and make sure that you obey the whole Law that my servant Moses gave you. Do not neglect any part of it and you will succeed wherever you go" (Joshua 1:5-7).

Thank you for your attention as we walked through this series and I hope by now you realize that you are never too young (or too old) to fulfill the purpose God has for you. Trust Him that He will be true to His promise not to leave or forsake you, and you will be like the people we have studied in this book. They were young, but God used them in a powerful way and He will do the same for you. Have a blessed week.

Monday Memo 1147: Proverbs

Early in my walk with the Lord, someone shared some advice with me that changed my life: "There are 31 chapters in Proverbs. Read one chapter a day and you will finish the entire book in a month. Then start over again." I did that every month for many years and then I wrote and published two devotionals featuring a verse from Proverbs for every day of the year. Now fifty years later, I continue to read and study that book.

As we wrap up this series, "Never Too Young for Purpose," I offer you the same advice I was given because Proverbs is relevant for all ages, but it was especially composed with you, a young person, in mind:

Here are proverbs that will help you recognize wisdom and good advice, and understand sayings with deep meaning. They can teach you how to live intelligently and how to be honest, just, and fair. They can make an inexperienced person clever and teach young people how to be resourceful. These proverbs can even add to the knowledge of the wise and give guidance to the educated, so that they can understand the hidden meanings of proverbs and the problems that the wise raise (Proverbs 1:2-6, emphasis added).

If you read Proverbs, it will teach you about money, leadership, work, and relationships with the opposite sex. It will give guidance on how to talk, how to listen, and what to do when you're angry. It constantly explains the difference between the fool and the wise person, because we are told, "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice" (Proverbs 12:15). Later, another verse teaches, "Keep company with the wise and you will become wise. If you make friends with stupid people, you will be ruined" (Proverbs 13:20).

This entire series has been presented to help you be a person of purpose no matter how young you are. God wants you to know and do His will, and He is ready to reveal it to you—if you're ready and willing. One way to get ready is to read God's word, especially Proverbs, for it will prepare us to handle what Paul later warned us about: "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33).

We see in sports that a good player on a bad team can still perform well but that person and team won't win. They need to be around people who are able to do what they can't, people who challenge them to be improve. That's true in any area of life and it's true for you. If you want to be a good student, hang around other good students. If you want to be a good musician, be part of a choir, orchestra, or band made up of other good and dedicated musicians. If you want to know the Bible, go to church and take classes with people who are eager to learn just like you are. Proverbs explains it this way: "My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. ... My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths" (Proverbs 1:10, 15).

You have a purpose. Something for you to do that only you can do, something for you to be that only you can be. If anyone tries to divert or distract you from that purpose, don't go along with them. Don't think like they do or go where they go. God has shown you what He wants you to do and you need to be with those who will help you do it while you also help them fulfill their purpose.

God has great plans in store for you, but you can prevent them from reaching their full potential unless you walk with wisdom. The good news is that the book of Proverbs can give you all the wisdom you need for your purpose, but you must listen to its direction: "Whoever listens to me [wisdom] will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm" (Proverbs 1:33). Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1146: It's A Gift

Throughout this "Never Too Young for Purpose" series, we have looked at people and principles that will help you be a person of purpose, no matter your age. As you get older, however, you will need to make a living so you can earn money and pay your bills. God knows you need money so you can eat and have the other necessities of life, so He promised through Adam and Eve that He would always provide for us:

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so (Genesis 1:29-30, NIV, emphasis added).

In those verses, we see that God provided their food as a gift; it was not their wages for work done. He expected them to work, but their food wasn't to come because of their work; it was provided by God Himself. He did not give them so much food for a certain amount of work done; He gave them what they needed. Later, Jesus taught the same principle when He said,

“So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things" (Matthew 6:31-33, emphasis added).

God's kingdom is His will for your life, so if you do what the King wants you to do, He then promises to give you all you need to live on. He may use the place where you work to provide for you but He doesn't need that place to provide for your needs. He can give you houses, cars, land, and everything else you need from various sources when you do His will. That means money doesn't have to be your first concern as you grow older, but doing God's will does. Let me give you an example.

I am a writer and I spend most of my days editing and publishing books. I also spend a lot of time on social media sharing what God teaches me with a worldwide audience. Sometimes people pay me to help them produce their books but at times some cannot afford to do so. What's more, the ministry I perform through social media does not provide me with income, yet I know it's God will for me to do it. As I have obeyed Him, God has provided for my family in other ways while I write and edit and teach online. His provision is a gift and not my pay for the work I do. 

One of the questions I ask people who come to me for help in finding their purpose is, "What would you do with your life if you already had all the money you needed to live on?" People tell me they would write, paint, travel, work with children, and other worthwhile activities. I then tell them their answer is a good indication of what their purpose is. If they will do that as often as possible, God will provide for them to do it in surprising ways because He wants to give them what they need while they carry out His purpose for their lives.

What would you do with your time if you had all the money you needed to live on? You can not only dream about it but actually do it as you learn to trust God to make good on His promise that He will give you what you need any time you are doing His will. God is the one who pays you and He is always generous and always on time, and He takes good care of those who do His will. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1145: Get Ready

After Esther was made the queen, she soon discovered that there were some people who hated the Jews, but what they didn't know was that Esther herself was Jewish. These enemies lied to the king and tricked him into ordering that all the Jews were to be killed. When Esther's cousin Mordecai learned of this, he went to Esther to ask for her help. However, if Esther went before the king and he didn't welcome her, she herself would have been in danger. This is how her cousin advised her:

When Mordecai received Esther's message, he sent her this warning: “Don't imagine that you are safer than any other Jew just because you are in the royal palace. If you keep quiet at a time like this, help will come from heaven to the Jews, and they will be saved, but you will die and your father's family will come to an end. Yet who knows—maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!” (Esther 4:12-14).

Of course, we know that Esther listened to Mordecai, went to see the king, he welcomed her, and she was able to devise a plan that saved her people and actually destroyed their enemies instead.

When you know your purpose and gifts, it's time to get busy preparing for your future. When you're preparing, you usually don't know what you're getting ready for, except that God is going to use you. You work to do what you can do while God works to position you where He wants you to be, which may take many years. Then when the time is right, He opens the door for you and you are ready to lead. The time to get ready isn't when the door of opportunity opens, but long before it opens. That means you're preparing for your future in faith by developing your gifts and understanding about yourself and your purpose as much as you can.

What do you need to do to prepare for your future? Do you need to take lessons from someone who will help you be a better singer, a better athlete, or a better actor? Do you need to read and learn more? Do you need to practice your skills to make your strengths even stronger or to improve your weaknesses? Do you need to have better spiritual disciplines so you can know the Lord better and be ready for difficult times and hard tasks?

The God of the future is with you now. He knows what you need to go through to be prepared for what He has in store for you. Work hard today even if you don't fully understand the reason you're preparing. Just like Esther, one day you'll realize that you were born "for such a time as this." When the time is right, you will be ready to play an important role in the plan God has for you, His people, and the world. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1144: The Best You Can Be

Last week we began to look at the story of Esther in our 'Never Too Young for Purpose' series. Esther was a teenage orphan who was quite beautiful, so much so that she was chosen as a candidate to be the next queen. After she and others were selected for consideration, this is what happened:

Hegai liked Esther, and she won his favor. He lost no time in beginning her beauty treatment of massage and special diet. He gave her the best place in the harem and assigned seven young women specially chosen from the royal palace to serve her. ... The regular beauty treatment for the women lasted a year—massages with oil of myrrh for six months and with oil of balsam for six more (Esther 2:9, 12).

Esther was beautiful so what did they do for her once she was chosen? They gave her beauty treatments to make her even more beautiful—more of who she already was. And that has an important lesson for you as you seek to be a young person of purpose.

The lesson is not that you are to pay more attention to your looks, your makeup, or your appearance. There is nothing wrong with any of that, but it's not the lesson of this story. The lesson is that God took who Esther was and took it to next level. Her natural beauty was enhanced by the treatments she received and God wants to do the same thing for you. Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

If you are a good musician or athlete, God gave you that gift or talent. You had nothing to do with receiving it but now you have a lot to do with developing it. You must practice, find good teachers, identify models to imitate, and practice some more. You should gain experience by being part of a group or performing and playing as often as possible. The same would be true if you are a good student in school. You must work to increase your knowledge by reading and taking classes that challenge you to grow your mind.

I hope you get the point. Whoever God made you is who He wants you to be to the fullest. God made Esther to be who she was and He was not offended when she and others focused on improving who she was. God made you who you are, so it's His will for you to be the best business person, teacher, assistant, scientist, doctor, or counselor you can be. As you do that, remember what Paul wrote to us,

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve (Colossians 3:23-24).

Work hard to be all that you can be and remember that God is one who enabled you to be who you are in the first place. Do what you do for Him and be the best that you can be and I promise you that God will be pleased. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1143: A Special Place

This week, let's look at a young lady who played an important role in her people's history to see what you can learn to help you as a young person of purpose. Her name was Esther and here is how we meet her in the Bible:

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. (Esther 2:5-7, NIV).

Esther was an orphaned girl who had been raised by her cousin Mordecai among other Jews who lived in Persia. When the king of Persia wanted to find a new wife and make her his queen, his servants searched the land for the most beautiful women and Esther was one of them. She along with other women were then taken to the king's residence so they could be prepared to meet the king:

When the king had issued his new proclamation and many young women were being brought to Susa, Esther was among them. She too was put in the royal palace in the care of Hegai, who had charge of the harem. Hegai liked Esther, and she won his favor. He lost no time in beginning her beauty treatment of massage and special diet. He gave her the best place in the harem and assigned seven young women specially chosen from the royal palace to serve her (Esther 2:8-9).

Esther was beautiful because God made her that way. She had no reason to be conceited or proud of her looks, for she had done absolutely nothing to create them. God had made her to look as she did for His own purposes. So if you have been told that you are handsome or pretty, keep in mind that this was God's doing. You're no better or more special than anyone else. Perhaps He will use your looks—or your ability to sing, or write, or speak, or act, or teach—for His purpose as well.

Esther was an orphan among a minority people in a foreign land. It would seem that she was destined to live a normal, ordinary life among her people, but God had something else in mind. She was discovered because she had special qualities that made her stand out from everyone else. You may be from a poor or broken family, just like Esther was. It may not seem like you're in a place that promises you a significant future, but if you belong to God, He will help you. He can cause significant people to pay attention to you and your special qualities, and they can offer you help and opportunities you never thought possible. Money for school, special opportunities in sports or positions of importance may be in store for you, even though you're young.

So where would you like to go to school but don't think you can afford to go? Dream big and trust God. Do you think you aren't talented or gifted enough to do something you love doing with others who appreciate you for who you are? God is with you and all you have to do is be yourself, just like Esther was. He will make a way for you and open doors, just like He did for Esther, Joseph, David, Daniel and the others we have studied in this series. Esther was a teenager, but in the next two weeks, we will look at the important role this beautiful orphan girl played where she lived to prepare you for the special place God already has in mind for you. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1142: Young and Old Alike

We are examining the role young people can and should have in the kingdom of God in this series "Never Too Young for Purpose." This week, let's go back to see a promise God made to a prophet as to what would happen when He poured out His Spirit on the earth:

“Afterward I will pour out my Spirit on everyone;  your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your old people will have dreams, and your young people will see visions. At that time I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, both men and women" (Joel 2:28-29).

When the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, Peter explained that this promise was being fulfilled:

"These people are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only nine o'clock in the morning. Instead, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about^{: '}This is what I will do in the last days,' God says: 'I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message'" (Acts 2:15-18).

In the Old Testament, God's Spirit would randomly come on a few people like David, Deborah, Samson, Daniel, and Joseph. But God promised when His Spirit came, everyone would have His Spirit and would then be activated and equipped for God's purpose and use—including the old and young, both male and female.

Notice that God specifically said that "sons and daughters" along with "young people" will speak His message and be visionaries concerning His purpose and intended future for His servants. This means that the Spirit would impart spiritual gifts to young people and would expect them to use those gifts in the service of His kingdom, just like He would do for adults. He would then guide and oversee their purpose to direct how and where they would use those gifts.

If you're an adult, what are you doing to help young people nurture and express their spiritual gifts? If you're a young person, what gifts do you think you have? Don't be limited in your thinking to just things done in church, but also consider that your artistic abilities, your academic success, your athletic skill, or your ability to make friends are all God-given gifts.

How can you use those gifts right now to serve the Lord and bless others? What's more, what visions do you have of what God is doing or what your future will look like? Do you have a message from God for others that you can share on social media or in person?

Young people have the same Spirit in them as adults, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. That is the greatest power there is and young people have access to it now. It seems that God's intent was for old and young to work together, all empowered by His Spirit. It's time for the Church to equip the young and old alike for fruitful service, both now and in their future. The good of the Church and the advancement of His kingdom are depending on that happening, and it was God's intent from days of the Old Testament prophets. Have a blessed week!

Monday Memo 1141: Now

In this week's 'Never Too Young for Purpose' lesson, let's look at a young man who saved his uncle, who just happened to be the Apostle Paul. Because Paul was influencing many to follow Christ, many Jews hated him, so much so that he ended up in jail after some of them rioted to protest his very presence. Some of them even plotted to kill him while he was being transferred to another place for his hearing before a judge. After that we read,

But the son of Paul's sister heard about the plot; so he went to the fort and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the officers and said to him, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” The officer took him, led him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to say to you.” The commander took him by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?” (Acts 23:16-19).

How young was Paul's nephew? We aren't sure, but we see that the commander "took him by the hand," which indicates he could have been in his early teen years or younger. God put this young man in the right place at the right time so he would hear what he heard. He then had the courage and awareness to immediately go to his uncle to report what he had heard.

Paul sent his nephew to talk to the man in charge of the guards and the young man made such a good impression that the man believed him and changed plans so Paul would not fall into the hands of those who hated him. Paul's nephew played an adult role in an adult world even though he was young—and we don't even know his name.

If you're an older person reading this, God has put some young people in your life for a purpose. They have something to do that only they can do. Therefore, you would be wise to take advantage of their energy, their fearless and intuitive approach to technology, and their attitude that allows them to try new things.

If you're a young person reading this, God wants to use you to help others, even if they are older than you. You should pay attention to what you are learning and what you hear that may benefit others. Learn to act on your ideas and develop your talents now, even though you're young. Don't wait to be a teacher; you can look for ways to teach now. Don't wait to start your business; you can start your business now. Don't wait to be a public speaker; God will give you chances to do that now. Don't wait to be an artist; produce and perhaps even sell good art now.

You're only too young for God to use if you think that's true. But if you think that God wants to use you now, which He does, then you will look for opportunities for Him to do so. And more often than not, God will have you in the right place at the right time to help your family, your friends, and maybe even the adult world around you. Have a blessed week.