Well, it didn’t take too long for me to miss a few Tuesdays, but I figured better late than never right? We’ve been really busy lately with many different end of school year things. I think life is finally settling in to a “summer normal”. The book is coming along but slower than we’d like because of all the craziness. However, we’ve made good headway and are gaining an understanding of the middle points of the book. We’ve known the end since Elvensty and set the beginning of this book a few months ago. It was more about getting from point A to point B.
One thing that has been on my mind a lot lately is this concept of being good enough to speak on something. For example, M. and I early in our marriage were sharing our experiences in married life. Someone looked at us and said “You’ll feel differently in a few years.” A few years have gone by (like 15 now), and we still feel the same as we did then. Or the time I was told that I could not speak for the millennials because I was “different”. I also find it’s almost always when the person doesn’t like what you are saying. They have no argument with which to challenge the truth of what you are saying, so they come up with an excuse to disbelieve. I think this is why Paul tells Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because he was young. He didn’t want someone coming in and bringing the gotcha argument of youth versus the truth God was using him to convey.
There are many different ways these gotcha’s come in. Remember these are all designed to prevent you from speaking into something with an answer someone doesn’t want to hear. It is not to say we should discount any critique, but don’t allow others to simply dismiss your experience, research, or intuition. There is a big difference between someone giving you a well reasoned argument and someone who merely wants you to feel inept. A good way to distinguish these things is to research logic fallacies and their many forms. And always remember 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.”