We live in an age when growing older is unthinkable to many. Their desire to remain youthful has caused them to also be unwise.
Leviticus 19:32 "32 You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD. "
When someone is pursuing youthfulness above wisdom it makes sense that they would not notice, with the quest to remain youthful, they are leaving behind the lessons of life that bring great wisdom. Proverbs 4
Teaching young adults to have their fun because once they stop having their fun its all about real life for them, it sends the message that real life is something terrible and to be avoided. It also teaches them that hard work and seeking wisdom are something undesirable or unimportant.
Proverbs 12:11
"11 He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense."
1 Corinthians 13:11
"11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [a]became a man, I did away with childish things."
I never thought of all the "adventurous" things as something to be sought after. We were raised in a culture that lived life in work, school and rest on Sunday. We didn't play every weekend as so many do today. Life was our adventure, the small things of everyday life satisfied us.
Our joy came from the work activities that brought productivity. Yes we had picnics, took walks, played with the animals and other things after the work was done, but money was not involved because there was little of it.
Our joy came from jobs well done, people we encountered, the flowers that grew and the animals antics as we watched them.
Because we had little money our adventures took the form of small things that were every day activities after the work was done, that anyone can do.
I notice the mentality of today to negate the condition of growing older. Because many people hate the idea of growing older or looking old they worship the youth by attempting to remain in it. I once heard someone say that "dying ones gray hair was just good grooming." This is the opposite of what God says in his word.
Proverbs 6:31 "31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness. "
The saying, "we should let the children be children as long as possible" has created 30 year olds who do nothing else except act like children.
Our job as parents is to allow children to be themselves while they are young but also teach them how to grow up into adult hood by interjecting responsibility as well as enjoyment of the small things of everyday life. Our culture has elevated youth to god like status by all the continual playing that so many people do.
When someone says to me; "you are not old", I feel as though I have just been insulted.
Lets examine this phrase and the reason for telling someone who is old that they are not old.
First lets examine what "old" is before we go any further. Its pretty simple, God said this:
Psalm 90:10 "10 The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty if we are strong— yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. "
In Psalm God acknowledges our days are only 70 and 80 if we have the strength. I have known many people who have passed in their 50's. Some people live longer and some shorter but this is God's bench mark. We call middle age about 40, when our bodies begin to have ailments and our strength diminishes, our half way point.
Yes there are exceptions to this rule of thumb but the exceptions are not the rule. Most people begin with medical problems and diminished strength in their mid 40's.
We all try to take care of ourselves, it is monstrous for others to make judgments that someone must be doing something wrong or sinful because their body is deteriorating. We are all born dying and we have an appointed day of our death, therefore to attempt to live longer than God's plan is to defy God.
Psalm 139:16
"Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Job 14:5
"Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,"
The mantra "you are not old" comes from a mentality that will not face old age with grace and dignity. Those who deny ailments, deny the need for the younger to take care of the older. After all if the older person doesn't need them they are relieved of the responsibility of caring for them. These people convince themselves that their aging parents do not need them to avoid having to help them by claiming they are not old.
The "you are not old" mantra denies old age as something to be demeaned and avoided. This mentality also makes physical beauty and health far more important than wisdom.
Pretending something is not so when it is so is lying!
There is a lack of good sense when someone denies the elderly the grace of being what they are naturally. It presumes that the elderly are doing something wrong by not engaging in youthful activities as vigorously as they did when they were young.
Telling an older person they are not old is denying the truth, expecting them to act in ways the youth would want them to act and devaluing those who are aging.
The wise and kind thing to do around an elder is to refrain from mentioning their age unless they bring it up. If the elder mentions their old age then the polite thing to do is respect their age as a source of wisdom for those who are younger.
Our culture does not respect their elders nor anyone else, unless the people they choose to respect do what they do, think the way they want them to think and like the things they like. In other words this generation of younger folks will only show loving kindness to those who say nothing, do nothing and have no opinion other than to validate the youth in whatever their desire.
In our culture old age is treated as a malady to be avoided. The amusing thing is aging cannot be avoided by anyone. The quest to remain youthful has robbed the culture of wisdom keeping many people immature far longer than they should be.
Treating your elders with disrespect and as an equal it a monstrous sin.
Leviticus
“You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
"1 Timothy 5:1
"Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,"
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."
1 Timothy 5:2 "Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."
Proverbs 1:7-9
"7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction
And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head
And ornaments about your neck."
We have seen what happens to a culture when the children do not respect their parents. We see the ruination of a country in which the children are preferred over the elderly.
Isaiah 3:11-13 "…11 Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done. 12 Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths. 13 The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people"
We live in a country where the men will not lead their families, the women won't honor their place in the home and children are being taught to indulge themselves continually.
Most of the small children I know today are growing into indulgent, self absorbed monsters without good conscience, nor thought of others. They are clueless to the needs of anyone else.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
“Difficult Times Will Come”
3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these."
What is the solution in these last days? Simple, love people in spite of who they are and expect nothing from anyone but God. When we have no expectations we can leave everything to God. Even the hard stuff we know has a purpose for us, that's where we can leave it.
James 1:2-4 "2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
When we walk closely with Christ knowing His principles we will have no reason to take anything anyone else does to us personally. We can chalk it up to God's purposes and our training.
Hallelujah!
