I was sitting in a comfortable living room with a group of girls, most of them older than me, listening to a conversation going on between two sisters. (We’ll call them Jamie and Kate.) Jamie was around ten years older than Kate and had gotten married when Kate was still in her teens. As their conversation progressed, Kate explained how growing up, she had learned much from Jamie as she observed how she handled different trials and struggles in her life and had strived to follow her sister’s godly example.
Jamie’s eyes got big and filled with tears as she heard her sister’s words. She looked around the room and smiled, “I had no idea Kate was paying such close attention to how I was handling life’s joys and struggles. I guess you never really know who’s watching you.”
That got me thinking. Am I living in a way that is worthy of being looked up to? If we’re willing to open our eyes and look around, there are so many younger girls who could learn from what we have to say. No matter how incapable or unprepared we may feel, God has given all of us an incredible responsibility to invest in the lives of those around us.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples.” What if we started right now, right where we are? What if we began pouring into the lives of younger girls around us, encouraging them to seek after Christ? Here are four ways to do just that.
1. Look for opportunities.
Look for ways you can pour into someone else’s life. There are younger eyes looking for an example to follow. Though you may not realize it, some of those younger eyes are watching your actions, words, and attitudes for guidance. It is so important that we keep in mind that we are being watched and often copied.
2. Pray that God will show you.
Sometimes it’s easy to miss an opportunity that is right in front of us. Pray and ask God to open your eyes to see those around you in a new light. Maybe it’s someone at school, a friend from church, or a younger sibling. It’s not about how much you know; it’s about your willingness to share what you do know.
3. It doesn’t have to be stressful.
I was going through a book with a younger girl a couple months ago, and every time we were about to meet, I would be completely stressed out. I was afraid I wouldn’t know what to say and that I would mess everything up. And you know what? At times, I had absolutely no idea what to say. But that’s okay, because God works through our mess-ups. So whether you start getting together with someone weekly or just emailing back and forth, remember God’s tailor-made truth.
“Do not be anxious . . . for what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour” (Matt. 10:19).
4. There are no qualifications.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of “Well, I just don’t have anything to share. I’m not qualified. What could anyone ever learn from me?” Satan would love to make us believe that we are not good enough or just don’t have what it takes. But God has given each of us a special story and no matter how “unqualified” we feel, there is always someone who can learn from our triumphs and mistakes.
By Liza Proch
