Wisdom is to be found in those who are old. Long life brings understanding. ~Job 12:12 (ERV)
Scripture teaches we gain wisdom from those who have lived a long time. As we come upon the holiday season, it would do us well to keep that in mind. You just never know what you could learn from spending time with the matriarchs and patriarchs of your family. We all need wisdom instilled in our lives. Although we don’t always like what our parents and grandparents have to say or even their method of delivering it, the truth is we learn from them. In Proverbs 22:6 God tells us “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV) Taking the time to learn from others and taking the time to teach others is an investment and God says it’s an investment that will hold its value for eternity. When was the last time you spent some time just listening to the wisdom of the aged? The bible teaches long life brings understanding but unfortunately our pride tends to make us think we are smarter than everyone else. Especially those we are close to. It would do us good to ask pointed questions to those whom the Lord confirms have more understanding than us. Think about what someone who is 90 years old has seen in their life, what emotions they have dealt with and what trials and troubles the Lord has brought them through. Those kinds of stories are inspiring. They help us to worry less and trust God more. Have you ever noticed that the older we get the less we worry? That’s because as we go through trials and overcome, our faith grows.
Spending quality time with those we love is important because it is how we pass down a legacy of wisdom from one generation to the next. In Isaiah 54:13 we are promised “All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.” (NIV) Sharing our experiences and what the Lord has done in our lives with the next generations will give them peace as they walk through this life. We all want to know that our children and loved ones are in a good place. That they are comfortable and enjoying a peaceful life. Well, that isn’t going to happen without some investment on our part because we know from experience that in this world, we have trouble. When was the last time you prayed with a child? They need that example. They need us to step up and share our faith from the earliest age. In Deuteronomy 11 the Lord tells the Israelites it was not their children that saw the great miracles it took to get them out of Egypt, it was their eyes that saw it. But their children needed to hear it. They needed to hear from eyewitnesses who had seen God move in miraculous ways. God says in Deuteronomy 11:18-21 “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up…” (NIV) One of the greatest things we can do with our family throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is to train up the young and learn from the aged. Doing this takes a purposed heart. We need to plan for it. Just like we plan the details of a holiday meal or the gifts we will be purchasing, we need to plan on setting aside time to both share and learn from each other. Babies and grannies alike will welcome the company!
The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. ~Proverbs 20:7 (NKJV)
Who will you purposely set aside time for this week to train and/or learn from?
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