“Stand up in the presence of the
elderly, and show respect for the aged…”
Unfortunately,
our society has drifted away from this instruction.
We
mistakenly believe we are honoring our elders by struggling to make them live
longer, when they would really prefer to live better.
Having
confused honor with preservation, we work solely on longevity, and then blame
them for their resilience. We fight to keep them alive but fail to remind them how
valuable they truly are to us.
Perhaps we
have forgotten that no sum of money can purchase wisdom, and no amount of
intelligence can replace experience. In life, the elderly are the experts and
the rest of us are novices. We must not forget the importance of that fact.
No rookie,
no matter how gifted, can outplay a seasoned veteran because they don’t fully understand
the complexity of the game yet…. the same applies in the game of life. Senior citizens
know the game, and their proven wisdom can provide depth and direction to our
existence.
Let’s get
back to “standing in their presence”. Commit
to spending time with the elderly God has placed in your life. Be the rookie that listens when the veterans
make recommendations.
Pay
attention and you will find that it helps both of you.
The bottom
line is, God is not making a suggestion in this verse, He is issuing a command.
He is demanding we value and respect the elderly in our lives.
Be
intentional in this… we reap what we sow, and the next generation is watching.
Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.
- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
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