Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – Here are five important life lessons we can learn from our elders.
Scripture repeatedly reminds us to honor and learn from older people. In a society that celebrates youth and novelty, it is easy to forget that those who have gone before us hold a treasure of experience and wisdom. These life lessons from elders can shape how we walk with God. Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
1. Learn From Their Mistakes
If I learn from what my mentor tells me, I can avoid a lot of trouble. I am a pastor and I have a mentor who was also a pastor. For health reasons he can no longer preach, but he can still teach, and he teaches me a great deal. He is not afraid to admit the mistakes he made in ministry, and that is one way we can learn from our elders.
2. Learn From Their Wisdom
Older people have accumulated a lifetime of wisdom, and it would be a shame not to share it with younger people. I have learned much from my elders. The day I stop learning or feel I have arrived may be the day God is finished with me, because we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (2 Peter 3:18), and my mentor is far wiser than I am. Knowledge is not the same as wisdom; wisdom is knowledge rightly applied.
3. Learn From Their Experience
What has happened will happen again, for there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). So why not draw on the experience older people have gained over the years? When you face indecision, or when you enter a completely unfamiliar place or situation, why not ask an elder in the church what they did or how they handled it? What they tell you not to do is just as important as what to do.
4. Learn From Their Knowledge of Scripture
My mentor, who is older than I am, knows the Bible better than I do. When I face a complex issue and cannot find the answer in Scripture, I ask him. He has met and dealt with the issue before, and he can point me to the passage I need to read to know what to do in that specific situation. My mentor is like a living Bible encyclopedia, a wonderful resource when we need to know what to do.
5. Learn From Their Correction
One of the best verses about learning from the correction of our elders is Psalm 141:5: “Let the righteous man strike me; it is a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.” That may sound painful, but we all need correction when necessary, and I am no exception.
Conclusion
I believe every Timothy needs a Paul. That is, we all need a mentor, but we also need to mentor those younger in the faith. In a sense this is discipleship, which is what Jesus told His disciples to do: go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything He commanded (Matthew 28:19–20). But we also need to learn from the mistakes, wisdom, experience, Bible knowledge and correction of those older than us. Believe me, I would still rather have the wounds of a friend than the kisses of an enemy. Don’t have a mentor yet? Find one. Know someone who needs a mentor? Become theirs!
Connecting Generations in the Church
The church is one of the rare places where generations sit together. Young people need the wisdom of the old, and older people are encouraged by the zeal of the young. Titus 2 describes a church where those who have gone before teach and model the faith for those who follow.
This week, invite an older person in your church to share a meal or a coffee. Ask them, “What is the biggest lesson God has taught you in life?” You may receive advice that stays with you for life.
And if you are older, don’t think you have nothing left to contribute. Your experience of walking with God, including your stumbles, is a precious gift to the next generation. Psalm 71:18 prays, “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.”
You may also like: Church Small Groups and Family Worship.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the older believers who have gone before us in faith. Help us honor, listen to and learn from them, and use every generation to build up Your church. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Article: Communications Ministry – Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church
Adapted from: FaithInTheNews.com
Read more articles in Devotions, or find a church near you on our Locations page. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
