I recently received this letter from Moses, one of the sons of Sarah Jantzen. Sarah is one of our church’s global missionaries, serving in Uganda. I felt very honored to receive this letter and was excited to help him out! I’m sharing this with his and his mom’s permission.
[Here is Moses’ letter]
How are you today?
I am writing to you to see if you can help me with a school project. I want to learn how to be brave, strong and faithful as a young man of God. My project is called “A Godly Man” and I have been studying 1 Timothy 3:1-9. You came to my mind when I read this passage because you are self-controlled, gentle, able to teach, respectful and not quarrelsome.
I want to see how you can help me grow into a man like you are. Also, when I was baptized, I learned that baptism is not just something that would help me suddenly be godly, but I learned that baptism is something that starts out demonstrating a godly life.
If you are willing or able, could you please answer the following questions and send them back to me?
[Here is my response]
Hi Moses!
I am so honored that you would ask me to answer such amazing questions. I’ll do my best to provide helpful responses!
1. What advice do you have for a boy like me who wants to become a man like you?
The best advice I can offer is to stay actively involved in church and surround yourself with Christians you admire. Of course, read your Bible, pray, and always remember that Jesus Christ is proof that God loves you (John 3:16). Don’t ever forget that through the Holy Spirit, God will be with you through both the highs and lows of life (John 14:16-17).
2. What important lessons has God taught you?
The most important lesson God has taught me is that, before anything else in life, He needs to come first – not just in my life overall, but in everything I do. God must be the foundation and the reason for everything I have to do and get to do; it all should be for His Glory. (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:17).
3. When you’re angry, how do you control yourself?
When I’m angry, I control myself in four ways:
- First, I ask the Holy Spirit to step in and take control of my anger (Galatians 5:16-25).
- Second, I imagine Jesus standing beside me and ask myself, “Is this how I want Jesus to see me acting?” (Matthew 28:20).
- Third, I remind myself that while anger isn’t necessarily a sin, it can lead to sin. So, I think carefully about whether my anger is justified and, if so, how I can express it in a way that honors God and others (Colossians 4:6, 1 Peter 3:15, James 1:26, Proverbs 25:28).
- Finally, I ask myself, “Is this the kind of man God is calling me to be?” Is He calling me to be an angry man, or a man full of love and patience? Then, I return to point one and ask the Holy Spirit to help me become the man God has called me to be (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Timothy 6:11-12).
4. What do you do when others around you are quarrelling?
I try to be a peacemaker, as Jesus calls us to be in Matthew 5:9. I do this not by immediately taking sides, but by first trying to understand both perspectives and then helping people meet in the middle or see things from each other’s point of view (Romans 12:18). But remember, you can help people, but you can’t control how they respond (Proverbs 29:11).
5. When Satan disturbs you, how do you fight him?
The Bible says that the Word of God is our sword (Ephesians 6:17) and so when Satan attacks, I do what Jesus did – I refute him with Scripture (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13)! This is why it’s so important to know your Bible and memorize as much Scripture as you can (Psalm 119:11). But also, I fight him with prayer (Ephesians 6:18, Mark 9:29, James 5:16), and by going out and sharing even more about Jesus (Ephesians 6:15, Revelation 12:11)!
*Also check out Ephesians 6:11 and James 4:7.
Moses, these were great questions. They challenged me and helped me to think even deeper about the type of man God is calling me to be. I hope my responses are of great encouragement to you, Moses.
I am praying for you!
In Him,
Pastor Ryan Kimmel
Peace Church
Ryan D.B. Kimmel 