1 Timothy 4: 12, Proverbs 18: 16, Ezekiel 22: 30, Luke 23: 32, 1 Sam 17, Acts 2, Colossians 3: 4, Genesis 1: 26

Glyn Barrett

In this series, Glyn Barrett looks at some of the ingredients that make up life. It's not all of them, but it's a great start.

1. Life is about PERMISSION

* In 1 Timothy 4: 12 it says, 'Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example.' For many years I thought the verse was telling us to be 'Examples' in everything we do. Now I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like fun. In school at times, the punishment inflicted on me by teachers was not worthy of the crime, they were harsh, but I was being used as an example not to break the rules so that other students did not. Being an example, sounds so ...SQUARE!!!!! Usually in school if a teacher was to name a student as an example of what a 'model student' was like, that poor kid would get beaten up later by his fellow students. So, who wants to be an EXAMPLE??!! But the power of the verse is actually outlined in the first two words.. 'Don't let'. In other words...PERMISSION.

* Paul (The writer of the book of Timothy) is writing to...you guessed it. Timothy. He was saying, "Hey Timothy, if you feel intimidated because of other people, it's not their fault, it's yours. You gave your permission to be intimidated! Don't give your permission any more."

* How often in life do we hand out our permission so freely?

* Someone ruins our day (We have given them permission to do so)

* Someone insults us & we carry it with us (We gave permission for that insult to stay with us)

* Someone did something in our past. It was horrible and destructive (We gave permission for that thing that took place years ago to affect us negatively today)

* The Bible is teaching us to 'Stay in control' of our lives and 'NOT LET' bad things that happen, affect us negatively over a period of time.

* In short, Bad stuff DOES happen to good people, we need to learn to take it to God, and not live in the light of the past or what people say or try to do, RATHER, we should live in the light of what God has planned for our lives, and that is exciting.

2. Life is about learning to BE YOU!

* We have all tried to be like someone else at sometime. Perhaps we have imitated a pop star whilst singing into the mirror. Perhaps we have dressed a certain way in an attempt to be like someone else. Perhaps we have even tried to walk or talk in a vain attempt to NOT BE OURSELVES, and be like someone else.

* The first time I ever had to preach, I copied the sermon word for word from an American preacher. Needless to say it was horrible & every time I have fallen into the trap of trying to be like someone else since, it has all gone horribly wrong!

* In Proverbs 18: 16 it says, 'The gift makes way for the giver'. In other words God created you unique. There are things that only YOU can do, when you discover that and do it, life takes on a whole new meaning. The gifts that God has given you, go before you and open the way for you. You walk into opportunity & more opportunity because God has made you to be you & blesses you to be you.