Do you remember being a little girl and looking gazingly up
to someone older than you? I do! My daddy was a pastor at his first church,
where he served as the senior pastor and the youth pastor. I was in elementary
school. I can remember thinking of those youth girls as unbelievably beautiful
and effortlessly graceful. Now on the other side of my teenage years, I realize
the absurdity of describing some of the most awkward years of a girl’s life as
graceful and effortless. But to my little eyes, these girls were fabulous and I
idolized them!
Then most likely you woke up one day and realized that you are that person with lots of eyes on
you! Maybe those eyes are your children or little girls in your church peering
up to you, like I was. Maybe you are a middle-age mom and a younger mom is
looking up to you. Maybe you are a widow and single women find refuge in you,
as one who points them to Christ. The examples are endless, but each of these
roles is crucial.
Chapters of our lives continually change. As women, we wear
so many different hats! Each one bears rich opportunities to invest in other
women, some who walk with our Lord and some who need to be introduced to our
Savior. No age or circumstances can stop your influence from going out. Eyes
are already on you, but it would be to your advantage to identify them!
1Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the
believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
First, don’t take it to heart if someone looks down on you for any God-given
circumstances, and don’t let it discourage you from accomplishing the work God
has set out for you through Christ Jesus. Second, set an example. The word for
example means to set a pattern that makes an impact and is not the same after
that impact. The truth is that you ARE leaving an impact in every place you
spend time. The question is what kind of impact is it?
So let’s look both ways. Look up to mature women who are
following Christ. I’ve found it richly beneficial to spend time with a woman in
the next phase of life. Whose example can you watch in marriage, in biblical
womanhood, in quiet times, in service to her family, to her local church, and to
others? Once you’ve identified who this woman is in your life, spend time in her
home. Go wash dishes with her. Ask to accompany her on her next grocery trip.
Be eager to learn, not from the world, but from women who pattern their lives
after our Lord Jesus.
Next, who are you investing your life in? I guarantee
someone is looking up to you. Do not waste that impact. Identify those gazing
eyes and point those eyes to Christ. Intentionally seek after those girls with
purpose. Take them to lunch. Invite them into your home and into your life. Be
real. Teach practical things. Share your story. Ask question. Listen. Learn.
Love.
I believe both of these practices are worth making
priorities in your life. This is life on life discipleship.
Katie Kasey is a 2+2 (International Church Planting M-Div) student
at Southeastern. God has given Katie the privilege of serving Him in
Ecuador on several occasions, as well as Ukraine and East Asia. Katie
serves at North Henderson Baptist Church in Henderson, NC, with her
family. She is excitedly preparing to serve God both at home and
overseas. Katie’s greatest joys in life are her two sisters Britney
& Meredith and their wonderful husbands- John Marks & Ricky, and
her parents Brent & Teresa. She also loves using photography and
writing to encourage others and promote God’s glory among all people.
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