Do Not Let Others Define Who You Are

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The importance of taking the time to define ourselves in a realistic, expansive way, and that we see clearly when others are trying to define us in their own terms or in relation to what they want us to be.

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Introduction

What defines you? This is a question you've no doubt been asked at some point in your life. And you have probably never given much thought to what you are truly being asked.
As stated in Webster's Dictionary, the verb “define” means to identify the essential qualities or meaning of something.
It's important that we take the time to define ourselves in a realistic, expansive way, and that we see clearly when others are trying to define us in their own terms or in relation to what they want us to be.
It's important that we take the time to define ourselves in a realistic, expansive way, and that we see clearly when others are trying to define us in their own terms or in relation to what they want us to be.
When we feel that we only fit into one definition - when we believe how others define us or when we define ourselves narrowly - we lose parts of ourselves.
A baby was born to two University of Wisconsin graduate students. The couple gave up their unnamed son for adoption.
The baby’s father, was a Syrian political science professor. His mother, worked as a speech therapist. Shortly after this baby was placed for adoption, his biological parents married and had another child. It was not until this baby grew up and was 27 that he was able to uncover information on his biological parents.
As an infant, he was adopted by Clara who worked as an accountant and Pau who was a Coast Guard Veteran and machinist. They named this infant baby, their new baby Steven Paul Jobs.
Steve was an American business magnate and investor. He was the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Apple Inc., the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar, a member of The Walt Disney Company's board of directors following its acquisition of Pixar, and the founder, chairman, and CEO of NeXT. Jobs is widely recognized as a pioneer of the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.
As an infant, Jobs was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs and named Steven Paul Jobs. Clara worked as an accountant and Paul was a Coast Guard veteran and machinist.
It was Steve Jobs who said “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
In essence, the Apostle Paul shared similar sentiments to his protege Timothy.

III. THE CHURCH AND ITS MINISTER—chapter 4

A. A good minister, preaching the Word—4:1–6

B. A godly minister, practicing the Word—4:7–12

C. A growing minister, progressing in the Word—4:13–16

Nestled in the middle of Paul's encouragement. He tells Timothy:
1 Timothy 4
1 Timothy 4:12 KJV 1900
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Let No Man Despise Thy Youth

There are two definitions for despise:
to look down on someone or something. with contempt or aversion, with implication that one considers the object of little value.

to consider something not important enough to be an object of concern when evaluated against someth. else

to consider something not important enough to be an object of concern when evaluated against something else.

Be Thou An Example of The Believers

(But) insures letting no man despise thy youth.
Be an Example. Scripture has many of examples of young people in the word:
Godly Young Men
Samuel
1 Samuel 2:18 KJV 1900
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
David, fighting Goliath
1 Samuel 17:33 KJV 1900
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
1 Samuel 17
Joash became king at the age of seven
2 Chronicles 24:1–2 KJV 1900
1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
2 Chronicles 24:1 KJV 1900
1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
2 Chronicles 24
Josiah became king at the age of eight.
2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 34:1 KJV 1900
1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
2 Chronicles 34:1
Godly Young Women
Jephthah’s daughter
Judges 11:36 KJV 1900
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
Ruth
Ruth 1:16–17 KJV 1900
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Ruth 1:
Esther
Esther 4:15–16 KJV 1900
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Esther
The Virgin Mary
Luke 1:38 KJV 1900
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Luke
Phillip’s Daughter
Acts 21:9 KJV 1900
9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

Be an Example in Communication

You can mitigate people trying to define you by being wise in your communication.
If you want some one to categorize you quickly be loud and obnoxious.
Be not Rash with your words.
Colossians 4:6 KJV 1900
6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians

Be an Example in Charity

Mark 12:30–31 KJV 1900
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
1 Peter 4:8 KJV 1900
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Be an Example in Character

Notice he states in spirit, in faith and in purity.
in spirit
Galatians 5:16 KJV 1900
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
in faith
Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
in purity
Matthew 5:8 KJV 1900
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Jesus spoke this during His famous Sermon the Mount. So what did He mean by “pure in heart?”
The Greek word for “pure” in is katharos. It means to be “clean, blameless, unstained from guilt.”
Interestingly, the word can refer specifically to that which is purified by fire or by pruning.
John the Baptist told people that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire ().
Malachi speaks of the Messiah as being like a “refiner’s fire” ().
Jesus refers to believers as being the branches and to Himself as being the vine ().
For a vine to produce fruit, it must be pruned. Those who are truly “pure,” then, are those who have been declared innocent because of the work of Jesus and who are being sanctified by His refining fire and His pruning.
Steve Jobs said ““Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
If you are a Child of God that inner voice is the Holy Spirit.
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