|
[back]
June
Honor and Aging
Dear Friends,
I recently heard of a person nearing the age of thirty expressing a dread of getting old. It is common in our youth-oriented culture for people to feel and to express a sense of horror at the thought of their aging. Of course it is understandable that all people would prefer not to weaken physically and to be compelled by the decaying of the outer man to bear increasing burdens of pain and debilitation. It is true that there are many and precious consolations that accompany the aging process, but in a youth-obsessed society, many fail to seek, find, and enjoy them. I believe that one special factor increases the dread that the young sense at the thought of their getting old. It is the failure of so many to obey the Fifth Commandment, wherein the Lord directs His people to honor their fathers and mothers. According to the Word of God, the aged are to be honored, while according to our culture, the very thought of one's ageing inspires a sense of horror in both young and old.
The Lord's Commandment that we honor our parents implies an honoring of our superiors, not an honoring of those who have simply preceded us in life. It is right that we honor those older than we are. Although there are foolish and evil older people, who have failed or refused to profit from the experience of their years, such people were foolish and evil in their youth. The wicked are rightly despised whatever their age may be. However, many people, in fact most people, and the vast majority of all Christians, improve with age.
While it is the strength of a young man that is his glory, it is the gray hair of the older man that is his glory (Prov. 20:29). Specifically, it is those who have attained the emblems of old age through their growth in the grace, knowledge, and righteousness of the Lord (Prov. 16:31) that have glorious virtues to be recognized and honored by the young. While the young man acts with strength and speed, because he lacks the knowledge of many facts and the wisdom that rightly and virtuously correlates those facts, he tends to act in faulty and even destructive fashion until he is taught and learns to do better. In this respect, the Word of God regards the young, not the aged, to labor under the greater defect. The Book of Proverbs, for example, abounds with teaching for the young and naïve with intention of eliminating the juvenile defects of ignorance and inexperience. Elders do not always make wise and virtuous decisions or do honorable deeds, but expansive knowledge, practical wisdom, depth and warmth of love, and, indeed, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in its sweet ripeness are rarely to be found in the young and inexperienced. Scripture tells us to give honor only to those to whom it is due (Rom. 13:7). Therefore, when we are told by God to honor those superior to us in age, gifts, and graces, we are being told to do a right and reasonable thing.
The Fifth Commandment also commends to us an attitude and a way of actions that bless and please both the children who honor their parents and the parents who are honored by their children. It goes without saying that disrespectful, cynical, and mocking children are a grief to any parent. Yet, it is profitably pointed out to us by the Apostle Paul that there is a promise of blessing given to those who seek to obey the Fifth Commandment (Eph. 6:2). That promise is not simply that the children who honor their parents would live long, but also that they would live well as they dwell within the blessed sweetness and security of the kingdom of God's grace and love (Ex. 20:12). Therefore, it is with children and their elders as it is with husbands and their wives. The husband who loves his wife will be so blessedly rewarded in the endeavor that he can rightly be said to love himself (Eph. 5:28). So it can rightly be said that the youth who honors his elders will find that he also honors himself. This will be so not only because the giving of honor to our superiors is right, good, and seemly, but also because as a given generation of young people honor their parents, they will set an example for their children to follow and so serve to create a climate of mutual, loving respect.
Into such a climate, no young person need fear to enter. For when he is old he will be honored by his children as he has honored his father and mother. He will mount up not by his own weakening arms, but with wings of graciousness, wisdom, patience, kindness, love, and growing Christ-likeness. When he looks at his decaying outer man, he will perceive through that fading façade his true, inner man growing in grace and glory. And when he looks at other believers of his generation, he will perceive their inner glory, too, and pity the carnal and superficial, whether they be young or old, who are blinded to the excellencies of character and sweet ripeness in grace that grow within his contemporary brethren.
The youth have a God-given duty to honor their elders. The elders in Christ, who have grown in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and who are nourished on the means of God's grace by their deep and keen spiritual appetites, whereby they have tasted and seen the goodness of the Lord for many years, have a responsibility also. They are lovingly to show their juniors the delights of those who are mature in Christ, so that together they may run the race set before them with sure confidence, growing gratitude, and abounding joy.
Yours having given some, but now receiving much honor in the Lord,
William Harrell
[back]
|
Sunday
Morning Worship 10:30 AM
Evening Worship
6:30 PM
Wednesday
Christian Education
7:00 PM
Saturday
Congregational Prayer Meeting
7:00 PM |
