Respecting Our Young and Exhorting Our Elders

bobinfaith

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Staff member
Senior Moderator
Dear brothers and sisters;

When I was a young adult in my 20s and early 30s, I was called a wise guy, punk or knucklehead by elderly people. They weren't being mean to me but were rebuking me. As a young adult I spoke and did without thinking. I felt like I knew it all and would show any elderly adult that I knew the business.

I loved my Dad and Mom, honored them in the home and went to church. But on my own as a young adult in the late 70s I was now free thinking and doing, but gave no thought about respecting my elders because they were "old fashion" and couldn't keep up with the times.

Today, the tables have turned. I see young adults as very intelligent and am at amazed at their talents, skills and abilities, especially in the Christian community.

A brother in the church who I long considered a mentor gave me words for thought. How could a young adult respect me if I didn't respect their knowledge and value, as I would an elderly?

I am a talker but am learning more how to listen. People of all ages have a story to share, education, jobs, ministry and ideas. Instead of categorizing young and elders, treat both with the same kindness and respect.

Young people are not stupid. Don't underestimate them! They know if one is only waiting for them to finish talking so one can say what's already stored in their mind.

Elderly people feel patronized if one is pretending to listen, but is only waiting so one can talk.

Many young people may not have the life experience but still want to express their opinion or have a voice when making a decision.

Many elderly people have been around the block and love to share their hard knocks experience, not so much to brag, but to inspire the lessons in life.

I'm discerning young people are inquisitive in these times and want to know more about the Way, Truth and Life before making a decision in their salvation.

For young people, Christ has the answer to their concerns but they are asking questions that need answers but not quite the way of previous generations.
They should be respected for their questions, not controlling answers just for being young.

I'm also discerning elderly people need to be uplifted because as we age, we may start to feel somewhat helpless because we're not young as in former days. God bless our elders who worked a job for many years, earned a comfortable pension but are limited as we get older.

There are Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that command us to uplift young men and women, and also exhort the elderly men and women.

What are your thoughts? Please share your experience in this topic. How does the Scriptures speak to you regarding our love and respect for young and elders?
 
Dear brothers and sisters;

When I was a young adult in my 20s and early 30s, I was called a wise guy, punk or knucklehead by elderly people. They weren't being mean to me but were rebuking me. As a young adult I spoke and did without thinking. I felt like I knew it all and would show any elderly adult that I knew the business.

I loved my Dad and Mom, honored them in the home and went to church. But on my own as a young adult in the late 70s I was now free thinking and doing, but gave no thought about respecting my elders because they were "old fashion" and couldn't keep up with the times.

Today, the tables have turned. I see young adults as very intelligent and am at amazed at their talents, skills and abilities, especially in the Christian community.

A brother in the church who I long considered a mentor gave me words for thought. How could a young adult respect me if I didn't respect their knowledge and value, as I would an elderly?

I am a talker but am learning more how to listen. People of all ages have a story to share, education, jobs, ministry and ideas. Instead of categorizing young and elders, treat both with the same kindness and respect.

Young people are not stupid. Don't underestimate them! They know if one is only waiting for them to finish talking so one can say what's already stored in their mind.

Elderly people feel patronized if one is pretending to listen, but is only waiting so one can talk.

Many young people may not have the life experience but still want to express their opinion or have a voice when making a decision.

Many elderly people have been around the block and love to share their hard knocks experience, not so much to brag, but to inspire the lessons in life.

I'm discerning young people are inquisitive in these times and want to know more about the Way, Truth and Life before making a decision in their salvation.

For young people, Christ has the answer to their concerns but they are asking questions that need answers but not quite the way of previous generations.
They should be respected for their questions, not controlling answers just for being young.

I'm also discerning elderly people need to be uplifted because as we age, we may start to feel somewhat helpless because we're not young as in former days. God bless our elders who worked a job for many years, earned a comfortable pension but are limited as we get older.

There are Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments that command us to uplift young men and women, and also exhort the elderly men and women.

What are your thoughts? Please share your experience in this topic. How does the Scriptures speak to you regarding our love and respect for young and elders?
What an encouraging post, brother Bob. I really enjoyed your unbiased presentation here. Thank you for your years of commitment to leading Christ's sheep and Godspeed in your future ministry.
 
As a young adult, I thought I understood many things, as I've grown older, I've discovered how little I actually understood. I'm coming to see the importance of experience which comes from living life and from the handling the difficulties that we experience in that life.

I'm grateful though that I did have many older friends when I was young. It also helped to have some good older Christian examples as I learned from some who had cancer and other troubles.

I too have had to learn to listen more over the years. I thought I knew everything when I was younger and perhaps I assume to many times that all younger people are as I was. Learning to actively listen is something that I'm learning more and more. I believe more from the experiences God has led me through rather than age.

There are certainly young adults that have gone through a great deal and have learned far more than some elderly. There are some who have gone through many experiences seemingly not learning much at all. It's more important how we deal with life's difficulties than how many difficulties someone has had in life. As we allow God to work with us in a trial we learn important lessons in love, faith, mercy and kindness. Through these experiences I believe we learn how to apply God's instructions better in our lives. Of course if we don't nourish ourselves with God's word and drink daily of the Spirit, it becomes difficult to learn the spiritual lessons we need in our difficulties.

cp
 
What an encouraging post, brother Bob. I really enjoyed your unbiased presentation here. Thank you for your years of commitment to leading Christ's sheep and Godspeed in your future ministry.

As a young adult, I thought I understood many things, as I've grown older, I've discovered how little I actually understood. I'm coming to see the importance of experience which comes from living life and from the handling the difficulties that we experience in that life.

I'm grateful though that I did have many older friends when I was young. It also helped to have some good older Christian examples as I learned from some who had cancer and other troubles.

I too have had to learn to listen more over the years. I thought I knew everything when I was younger and perhaps I assume to many times that all younger people are as I was. Learning to actively listen is something that I'm learning more and more. I believe more from the experiences God has led me through rather than age.

There are certainly young adults that have gone through a great deal and have learned far more than some elderly. There are some who have gone through many experiences seemingly not learning much at all. It's more important how we deal with life's difficulties than how many difficulties someone has had in life. As we allow God to work with us in a trial we learn important lessons in love, faith, mercy and kindness. Through these experiences I believe we learn how to apply God's instructions better in our lives. Of course if we don't nourish ourselves with God's word and drink daily of the Spirit, it becomes difficult to learn the spiritual lessons we need in our difficulties.

cp

Thank you, brothers Sam and Chuck!

Sam,
I appreciate you more these last weeks and feel we're both coming a long way here. I feel that our learning is something we get to take with us in the new directions God guides us.

Chuck, thank you for sharing as well! It blows me away how God reveals things in my life that connects to the people I encounter today. When young adults share with me and while listening, it's exciting how they can sense that and want to share their ideas, especially their new faith in Christ.

God bless you both and your families.
 
I think young people see the world from a different persepective from older people.
It's not that they think they know everything at all. They actually are aware they don't know everything, that's why they are so curious.

Its when older people tell them they don't know everything that young people get frustrated because they already know they don't so why point out the obvious. lol
 
A lot of experience comes from trying many things out in life.

Looking at Ecclesiastes the preacher of that book did and tried many things. Doing many things through ones life allows one to learn what is good, what is bad. Along side observance, one can learn many things. Along side my own life it has been a free bound no rules or restrictions to live by, and God allowed these decisions to be in my life that had lead me on a path of sexual immorality, to drugs, to fornication, to hate, to lust, my mother watched and see as these phases all came through life. She still loved me, and still cared about me even though we fought each other and bickered. She was my elder, and gave her a hard time did I.

She still cared, still did not completely abandon me, and took care of me through all my inflictions. The love of God is powerful, and that is what Mother had shown for the most part in and through her entire life, glad to know she has been a believer for a so long, and she does not even read the bible all that much in her life, but believe she does have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died and God rose again.

Praise be to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the spirit that he gives! God can truly change the heart if we allow him to work on it. We can not be perfect in the flesh however you can be perfect 'mature' in our faith. We all are equal in the eyes of God.

Thank you all for sharing what you had posted.
 
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A lot of experience comes from trying many things out in life.
my mother watched and see as these phases all came through life. She still loved me, and still cared about me even though we fought each other and bickered. She was my elder, and gave her a hard time did I. She still cared, still did not completely abandon me, and took care of me through all my inflictions. The love of God is powerful, and that is what Mother had shown for the most part in and through her entire life, glad to know she has been a believer for a so long, and she does not even read the bible all that much in her life, but believe she does have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died and God rose again.

Hello MatthewG;

God bless your Mom! Your testimony of her brings a nice touch to this topic.
 
Speaking without thinking is not a thing thats always related to age. A lot of people (young and old) blurt things out without thinking and its something that needs to be repented of.

The Holy Spirit gives us the fruit of temperance, or self control.

Young people are often denied a voice. So when they do speak it pays to listen. Sometimes something out of the mouth of babes cuts to the heart of the matter.

Elderly people often need help but sometimes pride gets in their way and they DON"T ask for help. The other thing is they might assume that someone will help them but when offered they don't like the help they are given. This can be difficult for the person offering help/assistance!

Young christians need milk and need nurturing.
Elderly christians need to teach the younger christians. It is not helpful for an elder christian to just tell a younger christian every time they do something wrong then dismiss them. It is more helpful to be an example, take things step by step, and encourage. This takes time. Don't expect someone to be perfect right away. Jesus talked about fruit trees, some that don't look like they are bearing anything. He said to dig it, dung it (manure it) leave it for a year...and then see the results. If it hasn't borne any fruit THEN cut it down.

Often I hear elders cut down young people before they are even given a chance to develop. This is wrong. Or they prune way too hard. You want a young person to grow and train them the right way. You want them to bear fruit. Let God help do the gardening.
 
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