Discipleship and the Need to Benefit from Older People

Stephen Nichols has an article at Ligonier's blog about "Youth Driven Culture." I thought it fit well with what we discussed on our retreat about the importance of discipleship and the role of older, more mature believers. Below are a couple quotes.

The trend of exalting youth and sidelining the elderly stems from a deeper problem summed up in the expression, “Newer is better.” We celebrate the new and innovative while looking down on the past and tradition. There is a compelling vitality to youth and to new ideas, but that does not mean there is no wisdom to be found in the past. It is a sign of hubris to think one can face life without the wisdom of those who have gone before. There is something about being young that makes the young think they are immune to the mistakes or missteps of those who have gone before. We all think too highly of ourselves and our capacities. Simply put, we need the wisdom of the past and of the elderly.

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The way out of enslavement to this undue celebration of youth is to foster a genuinely diverse community in our homes and in our churches. Generation gaps can be awkward and barriers to both sides having genuine and authentic fellowship. But God has designed His church in such a way that we need each other. Paul specifically commands Timothy to have the older teach the younger (Titus 2:1–4). We miss out when we think we have nothing to learn from others at different stages of life.

I encourage you to listen and watch and learn from older, faithful Christians (and to learn from reading Christian biographies).  If you are interested in a more formalized discipleship, then email me and I'll be happy to help you find and older, godly man or woman to help (ben@gcot.org).