There’s a really good chance that you are where you are today because people invested in your life. Here’s the deal: You’re not too young to start investing in the lives of younger guys and girls.
When I was a sophomore in high school, my friend Jamie (who was a senior) asked if she could meet with me one morning a week before school started and mentor me and two other girls. Jamie picked me up every Wednesday morning and invested in me that year. It meant the world to me that she would spend time with me, and, more importantly, she pointed me to Jesus. We spent time studying God’s Word, and we memorized Scripture together.
In college, Holly became a really dear friend. My freshman year, neither of us had dates for Homecoming, so she made a pot of soup and invited me to hang out at her apartment. She was just a couple of years ahead of me, but she shared a ton of wisdom with me. Holly was like a big sister in college, and I’m still so thankful for her. She always pointed me to Jesus.
Think back to when you were in middle and high school or maybe back to your first year or two of college. Was it just me, or did you know the names of most of the upperclassmen? I watched what they did because they were ahead of me. They had an influence on my life, whether it was intentional or not.
I love spending time with women who are younger than me. Now that I’m in my mid-thirties (yikes… that was painful to write), I have a strong desire to pour into women who are a few years younger than I am. I try to make myself available to the women God puts in my path, and He continues to bring them into my life, and for that, I’m really grateful. It keeps me accountable and always causes me to dig deeper in my walk with Christ.
How often do you think about the fact that people younger than you are watching you and imitating you? Paul encourages Christians throughout his letters to live lives that are worthy of imitating.
“Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.” (Philippians 3:17)
“Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Some of the women who made the greatest impact on my life were just a couple of years older than me. Are you living a life worthy of imitation? There are always people watching the way we live our lives, and our goal is to be obedient to God, which will lead to a life that worth imitating.
Mary Margaret West serves as a Middle School Bible teacher. She served several churches as a Girls Minister and has a master’s degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Mary Margaret is married to Jonathan and they love living in Winter Garden, Florida. Connect with her on Twitter or Instagram.