Example in spirit

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. – 1 Timothy 4.12

Be an example is spirit. If we are to try and follow Paul’s advice as regards to spirit what does that mean? How do we be an example by our spirit?

I think it all starts with what spirit controls us because that is the spirit we are going to manifest in our lives.

There seems to be a growing spirit in our world today that is disturbing. There seems to be spirit of anger and pride and a spirit which is ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Sadly, there are some Christians who are prone to that same spirit. Christians have adopted an angry rhetoric and a willingness to fight at the drop of a hat and a demand to be right and not let anyone get the best of us and to fight back and to return evil words with evil words.

Then we see what an example of Christian spirit really looks like. God uses words like loving and meek and humble and kind and gentle and peaceful and hard working and minding our one’s own business and submission and taking to lower place at the table and turning the other cheek and not responding to evil with evil and speaking the truth in love and in love preferring each other.

What attitude, or what spirit do we show the world? What kind of examples are we? Do I reflect the spirit of Christ in the way I live and deal with this crazy world?