I was sitting in Panera with a young man, a plumber by trade, married with no children, who is also a new believer in Christ. He is so in love with Jesus and eager to grow that every meeting with him encourages my soul. He is raw, sometimes it sounds out in his language, but so refreshingly excited about every new discovery he makes in his frequent reading of his Bible. He is filled with questions. And he is like a dry sponge every Saturday morning with maximum ability to absorb every bit of wisdom I can feed his desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
Honestly, it is a thrilling privilege for me to be able to invest in guys that may outlive me by 50 years. I look across the table at an eager-eyed young man whose eyes are wide open to truth, both self discovered by his own study and available from the experience of one who has gone before him. He is humble. He confesses. He asks for help. He thinks. He sifts. He takes action to apply. One hour and 45 minutes after we started with multiple refills of coffee, we were drawing near to the end of our time when an 80+ woman approached our table and encouraged us both.
“I wanted to affirm what you are doing,” she said looking into my eyes. She turned to him and said, “This is a good thing.” “We need more of this in the church today. What you are doing is discipleship. God bless you both.”
Another 30 seconds and she was gone. But she was spot on. God bless her.
Here’s how the apostle Paul puts it in the short letter to Titus:
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
Titus 2:1-2
Pray that I would use these years and these opportunities well and that God would bless these young men that he keeps dropping into my life and schedule.
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