Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
The Beauty of Age
“You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.” (Lev 19:32)
A NOTE TO THE YOUNG ABOUT THE OLD:
Respect for age is a respect for God. The first commandment God gives to children is to honor their father and mother, and Eph 6:2-3 says that the command to honor your parents comes with a promise for good days ahead.
There is a legacy of knowledge and experience that can only be passed down from the older generations when the younger ones value the aged. Time has not made us equals with the older generation. Thanks be to God that we have the gray-headed to pass down wisdom, so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every generation. Wrinkles and scars are an honor given to survivors and warriors.
A society that worships at the feet of youth and beauty is doomed to foolishness and heartache. Find a life well-lived this week, buy them a cup of coffee, and soak up their splendor.
“The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” (Pr 20:29)
A NOTE TO THE OLD ABOUT THEMSELVES:
God says that your gray hair is ‘splendor’ – this is akin to the word splendid and originally comes from the idea of “shine” or “be bright”. Your old age is a chance to shine your light for Christ brighter than ever! You have experience that was hard-fought for, and there are young souls who need your care and concern as they begin the journeys that you’ve already taken. They will stand where you stood, and it is your service to help them in it.
There is a tendency to be discouraged in the winter years of life, that maybe your time has come and gone, but that isn’t a Scriptural view of life here under the sun. Your time hasn’t come until He comes to take you home! God has a great retirement program, but it isn’t here, and it isn’t now. In your senior years, you have a mighty work to do because you know better than youth that the days are evil, and there isn’t much time to labor for the Master. Time takes away strength of body, but it is replaced with patience, wisdom, and the ability to know what really matters.
Every single strong Christian I know had an older mentor (or more!) who gave them great support and insight along the way. I can count at least half a dozen men and women who were over 70 who made me who I am today – their time and effort was a ‘splendor’ in my life that truly shined brightly! Don’t let the devil tell you are past your prime – if God says your splendid, then that’s what you are.
