Repost: A Beautiful Thing

While reading through some old blog posts of mine this afternoon, I came across one that I had written just about a year ago entitled, "A Beautiful Thing." I'll never forget how much the Lord used my writing that blog post to encourage my heart in the area of viewing my "younger men friends" as brothers in Christ. Now about a year later, through re-reading this blog post, He has used it to once again encourage me, and I want to once again share it with you all. (Note: this repost has been edited just a bit.)

"Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity." 1 Timothy 5:1-2

I simply love these two verses in 1st Timothy chapter 5. They hold so much and are a constant reminder of how we should treat/view older men, younger men, older women, and younger women. What I particularly like the most about these two verses are the parts about young men and young women, and how they should be looked at as brothers and sisters. I also value and find helpful the parts in those verses referring to older men and older women, but personally, I have found the parts about young men and young women to be more helpful, and something that I can value more/learn from more at the moment.

Why do I feel that way? Because I believe that my fellow young ladies and I need to hear the part of these verses about young men. Likewise, young men need to hear the part of these verses about young women. In these verses, we get the message (or at least I do) that young men should be viewed and treated as brothers and young women are to be viewed and treated as sisters, with all purity. That is something that not many of us do, young men and young women alike. Among quite a few, it is something that is not being put into practice, nor is it even considered important. Yet, it is.

There is a great importance in young women viewing young men as their
brothers in Christ, just as there is a great importance in young men viewing
young women as their sisters in Christ. It is truly a beautiful thing when that
is applied to a young man and young woman's friendship. Why is it so beautiful?
Because through doing so they are respecting each other. Through doing so they
are helping each other. Through doing so they are protecting each other's heart.
Through doing so they can love each other with a pure love, with a God-honoring and God-glorifying love, with a brotherly and sisterly love.

I wish that this was something more young men and young women took seriously. If so, many of them wouldn't have a broken heart, many of them would be able to find joy and pleasure in their friendship with the opposite gender, many of them would be able to have close, edifying, God-honoring brother/sister relationships. Yet, that is not the case. Because of the lack of importance that young men and young women put into calling the opposite gender brothers/sisters, and respecting them and protecting them as they should through that, there are more--and will continue to be many--broken hearts, associated with much hurt.

I praise God for helping me to realize the importance of what was written
above! I know that it is only by His grace alone that I am able to view all
Christian young men as my brothers in Christ, and in doing so, protecting myself
and them. However, I am not perfect at this. I will still have my struggles with
this at times. And the question always arises (and I mean always): if/when you
become interested in/have feelings for a young man/young woman, does that then mean that you shouldn't call him/her your brother/sister, or shouldn't still try to view him/her as your brother/sister?

I believe that we should always try to view young men and young women as our brothers and sisters, no matter what. Though an interest and feelings may arise, we should always try to view young men and young women as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Always. I believe that it is more important in that case than in any other. We have a responsibility to protect the other's heart, at all times and at all costs. That is simply our duty as Christian men and women. I believe that the one and only time a young man and a young woman should consider each other/view each other more than a brother or sister in Christ is when they have entered into courtship. That is the only time. Other than that, by not considering a young man or a young woman as your brother or sister in Christ, you are opening a door to hurt; hurt for yourself and for the other person involved.

I know that when we are faced with the challenge of not thinking more of a brother/sister in Christ, it can be hard. But, I have found a great encouragement in 1st Timothy 5:1-2 when it comes to that. It is such a great reminder to myself, and I pray that others may feel the same. We truly do have to strive to keep our brothers/sisters in Christ as brothers/sisters in Christ when those feelings/interests arise. It is not always easy; it will most likely never be easy. Yet, it is indeed needed and necessary. We have that duty to protect each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. When we need help to do so, we can do so by constantly praying and focusing our heart and our mind on God and God alone. It is so worth it. In the long run, it definitely will be worth it!