By Paul Albert
Have you ever wondered how old some of the people in the Bible were when they started to do things that honored God? What is recorded about John the Baptist is unique, for while he was still in his mother’s womb he leaped for joy when she heard the greeting of the mother of her Lord (Lk. 1:40-44). Truly, in this we are reminded that the lives of the unborn are precious to the Lord.
Reading through Scripture we find others are different ages. Samuel (1 Sam. 2:18) and the captive servant girl in the story of Naaman (2 Ki. 5) were children. Others in the Bible who displayed faith in God during their teens or early twenties, if not before, include Isaac, Joseph, David, Jeremiah and Daniel. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the disciples all seemed to be rather young as well. Peter was at least 20 (Mt. 17:24-27, Ex. 30:13-14) during Jesus’ ministry years, but John was quite likely younger considering that he wrote Revelation more than 60 years after the Lord was crucified.
We believers should be encouraged to commit our lives to the Lord early in life. There is nothing to be gained in this world, so why live as if there were? God is always interested in our desires and well-being, but He is pleased when we seek to obey and honor Him. Thankfully, as we look around we see young people as well as older ones giving the Lord first place the highest position in their lives. Paul wrote: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1 NKJV). Another translation ends the verse by saying, “… your spiritual service of worship” (NASB). Our lives should be lived in worship to Him.
In a time to come when what has been done for Christ is revealed, at what age will it be shown that you began to follow Him as Lord, and not only as Savior? This is something to begin when you are young the sooner the better!
God has given many instructions to help us in this desire, and we need to take heed to His Word (Ps. 119:9). May we be reading it daily, humbly and prayerfully learning from Him.