Timothy Showed Age Doesn't Limit God

You know what’s interesting about wisdom? In Scripture, it’s depicted as a child. That’s right, an adolescent, running around, delighting in the creation of the world, full of wonder and awe, fully open to receive God’s mysteries and take delight in the beauty of the unknown. In Proverbs 8:22-31, wisdom is personified as a child to convey its attributes and relationship with God.  Jesus knew this. Jesus reiterated that wisdom delights like a child, wonders, and asks questions.

So, you could deduce that you are wise when you serve, seek, and surrender like a child… like a student. This may feel odd or backward. But every time we humble ourselves and open ourselves to the wonder of God, we allow ourselves to be conduits of hope and love to the next generation. When we create space for a young person to feel known and loved, whether in Sunday School, at youth group, on a serve trip, in our homes, or simply over a meal, we are welcoming God himself and sharing the promise of HOPE!

Mentoring is a sacred act. It’s not just teaching Scripture or offering advice. It’s incarnational, making the love of Christ visible and tangible to a generation longing to be seen. And as a youth pastor, I can tell you: our youth face pressures we never imagined. Anxiety, loneliness, digital overload, and social comparison are shaping their world daily.  But think of how being a teacher of God’s love and mentoring our next generation can be a counter-cultural voice—offering safety, mentorship, and meaning.

You don’t have to have all the answers to be a mentor. I promise! You don’t have to be the “cool adult” or theologically trained. You just have to show up—consistently, humbly, and with love. Think about who mentored you in faith. Was it a Sunday School teacher, a coach, a parent, a neighbor? What mattered most wasn’t perfection—it was their presence. Mentoring is about relationships, not results. It’s about being a consistent voice that says: “You matter.” “God made you for a purpose.” “You belong here.”

When we commit to walking with our youth through joys and doubts, questions and crises, we give them a glimpse of how God walks with them, too. What would it look like for every child and student in our church to have at least one adult, outside their family, who knows their name, listens to their story, and encourages their faith? What if we stopped thinking of mentoring as a “student ministry” task and began to see it as everyone’s ministry?

How would it change your life to welcome students and say, “Let’s do this life together.” Ask your big questions, share your frustrations, because you matter. Because our lives are all transformed by someone who took the time to remind us that we matter. I know mine was. Thank you, Pastor Tom, for mentoring a 13-year-old Leah, who you never knew would one day be doing the same, mentoring young people.

You can be the someone who says, “Hey, you matter.”