Honor the Aged

Ex. 20:12 Honor thy father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

Job 12:12 Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.

Prov. 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory, it is gained in a righteous life.

In Latin countries, from a young age, little people are taught to say: Don- preceding any male name, and Doña before any female name, as an act of respect to any and all adults. You would never dare say just their name without the Mister or Madame before it. The Word teaches us to honor our fathers and mothers, and there is a reward in doing so…honor begets honor! The aged have lived and endured, and hopefully shared their gained wisdom, thru experiences of failures, victories, losses, gains; maybe even detours of perdition, and finally salvation/finest of day! The aged have a bounty to give us, and our attention and present presence—does indeed manifest an aroma of respect and appreciation. Their silvered crowns do come with many stories of colorful hues, and witness the young, who grow to have their own, and share, mutually, the simplicity or complexity, of a day in the life. These older saints of God who get to see another day with Jesus, oh what a sight to behold and remember!

1 Tim.5:1-3 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. Take care of any widow who has no one to care for her.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

1 Kings 12:6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advice me to answer these people?” he asked

Often times I am honestly horrified at the tone and lack of consideration of some younger people towards their elders, including their parents. Now I know “teens” can be trying, testy, and curt at times, but the Bible consistently says to honor your father and mother that it may go well with you. I pretty much count as a given, that an elder’s sojourn is filled experiences that have brought insight and wisdom I do not have! They have seen more, lived longer and witnessed radical changes we know nothing about. Honoring the aged, whethe they speak into our lives or not, is high consideration. Honoring our elders brings longevity…and at family gatherings you feast on the joys of what each generation brings and how it is expressed. The elders in our church are extended family to me, and they light up like a Christmas tree when I make my way to them. I don’t have relatives near me, not even my mother; and I do feel the void of their valuable and enriched presence. If you don’t know someone’s story, your honor-able consideration of them just might bring a notable blessing indeed… and a taste of Jesus.

Pastor Victoria Volich