Upside down thinking does not always honor God or reflect His ways.

Some folks think because I now carry the white hair that I would immediately be more prone to favor respect for those who show their many miles along with their age and wisdom. While there may be some taint of this in my viewpoints today, I can prove my long history of doing my best to see the aged as God does, with respect and honor as detailed in the template for life found in His Holy Word, given for us to know how we should conduct ourselves while passing through to our heavenly home. That’s right. Respect and honor should be the standard shown as a natural part of how we view those older folks in our homes, our families, our Churches, and in our everyday contacts in life. I’m chewing on this or perhaps gnawing is a better metaphor for today’s blog on this Wednesday, June 10, 2009. If there is anything that gets me stirred up quickly, it is the neglect, disrespect, and outright marginalization of the elderly that characterizes our world today.

We live in a society here in this country and throughout the world that champions youth and its vitality, while thriving on its promise and potential. While there is nothing wrong with emphasizing the development of talent, it is when we lose our grasp on seeing age in the context of revealed truth from God that we end up, even as believers, operating in the same way the world does. When Solomon passed the torch to Rehoboam as his successor to Israel’s throne he also handed him a mess of trouble. Because of Solomon’s extravagance the nation was taxed beyond any proportionality and when Solomon died representatives from the people came to Rehoboam and begged him to institute reforms that would lesson the burden on families. Rehoboam called in the elders of the nation, the older men who had wisdom and insight. They recommended that he immediately respond favorably to the pleas for relief. Rehoboam then called in his running buddies who were young like him and asked for their advice. They advised him to make things tougher than ever on the people. He rejected the wise advice of the elders and agreed with his cronies. This resulted in a civil war that saw his kingdom divided and decimated. (1st Kings 12:1-24, 14:21-31; 2nd Chronicles Chapters 10–12)

The world we live in doesn’t have to worry about this type of situation. Why? We no longer even bother to ask the older folks what they think about anything. They are, for the most part, if recognized at all, condescended to with faint words of empty praise while viewed mostly as being of little consequence in the making of decisions. Sad? More than that, it is the total opposite of the directions God has given in His Word. Sadder still is how that most of the older ones now see themselves as no longer counting whether in the general society at large or even in our Churches. It is my observation that America is paying for this lack of respect and our Churches are too. The model we are following is not the model God has given to us. It may be called by fancy names like upside down thinking, out of the box, and all the other catchy phrases that might be used, but in the end when we follow any model that fails to reflect thus says the word of the Lord, we do so at our own peril. Okay, I think I have said enough. How do you like some ice-cold water in the face to get you up and going? Let’s go out and win one for the white hairs! Amen. ….More later.