One of the most engaging and enlightening conversations we could ever
have is with an elderly. Yes they may be hard of hearing sometimes,
but they have a huge stack of wisdom right under their belt. And most
of the time they are more than happy to share their life stories and
the lessons that come with it to anyone who cares to ask.
If we are wise then we can take the time to listen. German hero and
nationalist Otto Von Bismarck has a famous quote that is along this
line: “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns
from the mistakes of others.”
The Bible tells us too that we can learn a lot from our elders.
Proverbs 20:29 says “the glory of young men is their strength, but the
splendor of old men is their gray hair.” This passage encourages us to
look into older and godly members of our community as sources of
wisdom. And indeed, as long as they remain planted in God’s truth,
they will be a well of knowledge and inspiration for the younger ones.
“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a
cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish
in the courts of our God.They will still bear fruit in old age, they
will stay fresh and green, proclaiming,“The Lord is upright; He is my
Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15
If we only take the time to talk to them and digest the life lessons
older people tell us, we can avoid the pitfalls of learning from our
mistakes. We can look through their life experience, as well as their
takeaways from it, and keep the practical lesson in mind. As part of
God’s family, we are encouraged to benefit from the wisdom our elders
impart, and they in turn from the strength we have to help them out.
“Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” Job 12:12
We can never dismiss the wisdom and experience of our elders as no
longer applicable in our time. Because even if our current situation
has changed much, scenarios involving our relationship with others,
with material wealth, and moreso with our God remains the same. The
writer of Ecclesiastes mentioned this truth, and so if we will think
about it, why shouldn’t we learn from those who have emerged alive
after facing such difficulties?
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9
In fact, older women are called to teach their younger counterparts on
how to live life as a Godly woman. In his letter to Titus, the Apostle
Paul asked him to instruct the older church women to train young wives
to properly conduct themselves.
“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,
not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is
good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and
children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be
kind, and to be subject to their husbands,so that no one will malign
the word of God.” Titus 2:3-5
Learning from Godly women around us is a blessing from the Lord.
Imagine just by listening to them you get to avoid costly mistakes
that could affect your present and future life? Let us spend the time
to talk to our elders, break bread with them, and sincerely listen to
the life lessons they share.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good
works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing
near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Titus 2:1-10 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: When was the last time you talked to an elderly?
What life lessons have you learned from their sharing of experiences
with you?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for putting me
in a community where I could learn from others, and in turn serve
others too. May I learn from the wisdom imparted to me, and at the
same time, be a productive member of the community too. Amen.