How Young Is Too Young?

By Connie S. Arnold

I read something in the Bible today that I do not ever remember seeing before. On the surface, it did not seem to hold any great theological insight, but as I thought about it, it brought new truths to light.

This ‘new’ discovery showed up in Jeremiah when the Lord told Jeremiah He had a word for him to deliver to the nation of Israel. Growing up in our church, we often heard Jeremiah labeled the ‘weeping’ prophet; but it was not emphasized that he was a youth.

Jeremiah’s reply certainly sounded legitimate when he said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy”. The Lord answered him saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations,” Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSV). “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth,” (Jeremiah 1:9, NRSV).

What we do know is that Jeremiah went forward declaring the word from the Lord.

We read of other ‘youths’ in the Bible whom the Lord touched for special service: David kept his father’s flock, writing songs of praise to his God, and strengthening his arm against sheep predators until the time came to topple a giant who defied God’s army; Samuel, as only a young boy, heard God’s voice and answered, “Here I am,” submitting to God’s anointing and future leadership role (1 Samuel 3:4);Moses, saved as a baby for God’s purposes, fulfilled that to which Jehovah had determined. We could name others.

Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers,” (1 Timothy 4:12, NRSV). Many young people have had powerful spiritual experiences.

However, just because these young examples had God’s anointing at an early age, it did not mean that their lives would be free of hardships. It only meant that their spiritual muscles would start strengthening before their elders.

Jesus was very accepting of children. He rebuked His disciples when they would keep the children from disturbing Him. When Jesus said, “Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come unto me” (Matthew 19:14 (NRSV), He was reaching out to a part of society thought to be of no significance. Jesus was aware not only of what they needed to learn, but He knew also that children had things to teach us.

When Jesus gathered children around Him, I don’t think He patted them on the head and said, ‘now be a good little boy or girl’ and then dismissed them. The eager youngsters would press in close, basking themselves in the warm, tender love shining from His eyes. We could expect Him to tell them children’s versions of parables: good against evil; right versus wrong; loving your neighbors.

C. S. Lewis saw the potential in children when he said, “Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise, you are making their destiny not brighter, but darker.” We see this played out in his story “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” In this children’s classic, four young people are in the midst of a battle against evil. Special weapons given to them allow their victory through this bloody warfare.

The secular world has long been aware of the need to grab our children’s minds at an early age. In present times, video games are battles fought between super villains and superheroes. Are believers in the church watering down the raging spiritual battle that we are in? Do our children know the dangers surrounding them? Are we waiting until young minds become tough enough to accept the truth? Let us take off the veil surrounding our Biblical hero overcomers and shake the dust off the old stories so they become relevant, so our children can see that the battle is the Lord’s.

Go to the back of the book with them and explain that we are conquerors in the end, and we are on the winning team. Let’s instill within our children that Jesus died for them to become overcomers. (Or superheroes if you will.) They need to understand this truth now as it will continue to become increasingly important as they grow older.

CSA_________