The Folly of a Novice

Paul said in I Timothy 3:6......

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.....

It seems that many young men love this verse and forcefully assert themselves in areas they should never do so.....

You see, some men qualify themselves after a year or so of pastoring or having preached a couple of revivals etc......that now they have arrived on the market of the ministry.....

And they have, but still are new arrivals.....

Now my young friend before you fire off epistles at me just bear with me and take a little walk.....

Paul's mention of the novice was not for the benefit of an established ministry but for a beginning one......

Too many have started well but something hindered them....

The zeal of a young leader combined with the just enough experience to be dangerous many times turns into mindless bluster......

And of course now that one has some sort of position in ministry he has to listen to no one.....too bad......

This poor sap has discovered unbeknownst to himself the folly of the novice.....

And so he ignorantly waves around verses like 1 Tim 4:12.....

Let no man despise thy youth .....

And blusteringly communicates the fact to others that I have arrived and you will not despise me.....

Again failing because of the folly of the novice that Paul was not writing for the young man to bristle and bluster about his own youth....

But rather he was encouraging young Timothy to not give anyone reason to despise him.....

Timothy, do not run off at the mouth and get caught up in the folly of the novice and cause others to have no respect for you.......

But Paul offered an incredible remedy for the folly of the novice in 2 Tim 4:5.....

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry......

My dear brothers....

Sadly younger ministers set out to prove themselves and forget they are not to prove themselves but prove their ministry.....

The folly of the novice sets the lad in a process of proving who he is ....

This is unnecessary to all and only creates baggage the lad will drag for a long time....

Younger brothers.....

Be careful in all things......take the hard knocks.....win a soul.....and let your ministry prove itself.......

And the folly of the novice will not be charged to your account....

Blessings...

rks