Silver Haired Wisdom

Please note:  Fresh Starts will be taking a vacation during the month of July.  Posts will resume the first Monday in August.

Jen G. 2011

When King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king. Immediately afterward, Jeroboam, a man who had rebelled previously against Solomon, came to the king to plead for Rehoboam to have softer hand than Solomon in leading the people. The king listened to the plea and then sought council from the men who had served his father for many years. The elders advised Rehoboam to do what was asked of him and lessen the yoke his father had imposed. And then Rehoboam announced the new and improved rules and Israel began a time of great joy and prosperity that still exists today. If only that were the case…

But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 2 Chronicles 10:8

Two things jump out at me in this Scripture. First, Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders had given him. Second, he consulted his friends instead. And then, he LISTENED to them. (You can read the whole sad story in 2 Chronicles 10.)

The story of Rehoboam is used over and over with kids of all ages as an example of the importance of listening to your elders. As important as it is to point out the foolishness of rejecting the wisdom of godly, older advisors for the short-sighted counsel of younger childhood friends, it is probably more important to note Rehoboam’s age when all this went down. 1 Kings 14:21 says that Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. FORTY-ONE. That is older than I am. I always had this squeaky-voiced, gangly adolescent male in mind when I read this story. Not so! Rehoboam was a grown man when he chose to reject the counsel of those much older and wiser and accept the counsel of those his own age.

Should we not seek counsel from mature believers who are about our same age, or even younger? Of course not. Godly wisdom is godly wisdom regardless from whom it comes. We should, however, be diligent in honoring the wisdom that comes from years of godly living.

The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31

The American culture is not one that honors age. We color the silver crown, surgically stretch out the wrinkles of time, and hide away many who are no longer ‘productive’ to society. The Body of Christ, which is universal and not bound by country, needs to hold older Christ followers in high regard, soaking up what they have learned and observed through years of a faithful walk with God. Learn from the aged, honor them; let them know that their experiences were not in vain.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the silver haired wisdom in my life. Thank You for godly parents and grandparents who have lived full lives for You and who are willing to share that wisdom, not just with me, but with countless others. Help me to honor those who have run the race with endurance, and to learn from them. Amen.

Challenge:
Take stock of how you receive counsel from older believers. Do you write them off as being ‘behind the times’ or ‘in the dark ages’? Do you only look to close-in-age friends for advice and input?

Look around your church this Sunday and make note of the age groups fellowshipping together. Most likely the make up is young with young, old with old. Head over to the older group, take a seat, and spend time with them. Learn from your elders and encourage your children to honor and respect godly age and wisdom. They will learn from your example.

Jen G. 2011