The Best People To Choose As Friends

The older I get, the more I appreciate people older than myself. When I was 20, for example, I viewed people even at the age of 40 as being of a different generation, incapable of relating to or understanding me. Even when the few older folks that God had placed in my life did give me wise counsel, I thought they were old fashioned, and viewed them as standing in my way of doing what I (selfishly) wanted to do.

When I was 30 years old, a stark realization hit me that brought shame when I reminisced over the previous ten years of of my life. I realized that I had learned, experienced, and understood so much more of life, of God, and of all things important, than I did a decade prior. And I concluded that maybe, just maybe, the older one gets, the more wisdom and understanding one has.

And here I am at the ripe, old age of 40, and I find myself gravitating towards people older than myself… in fact, the older the better. I literally crave listening to the profound conclusions that those who are 60, 70, and 80 years old have come to understand by living so much longer than I have on the earth. I know that they are at an advantage. Their marriages have stood the test of time and struggle. Their eternal perspective is a treasure that I have yet to attain.

The Message to Keep Away From

The way we view those older than ourselves, even among believers, is very much influenced by society, rather than by God’s Word.

Society silently declares that those older than us are dispensable, an inconvenience, and a nuisance in our lives. Society whispers to us ‘younger’ ones the message that ‘we know better’ than those who have gone before us; that they are outdated, and their ideas are best being replaced. Young people are given the express message that they are in their prime, and that anyone even a decade older is past their ‘best before’ date, making what they have to say irrelevant and insignificant.

The Best People To Choose As Friends

But oh, my sweet friend, how we rob ourselves of an incredible wealth! The riches of both practical and spiritual maturity that are at our fingertips when we sit at the feet of an older person, would be a crime not to utilize and heed.  The stores of lessons learned through hardship and trial are ours for the taking, and ours for the keeping.

You and I must adopt the Biblical view regarding those older than ourselves, which is to honour, respect, and value them (and yes, this includes our own parents). I’m not saying that you should only be friends with those older than yourself, but I am suggesting that including people from older generations brings a wealth of wisdom and depth of substance to any life.

Examine yourself. Do you have a Biblical View?

Do you: “stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and thereby fear your God?” Leviticus 19:32

Do you realize that:
“ Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31

Do you understand that: 
“ The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.” Proverbs 20:29

Do you: “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and not despise your mother when she is old.” Proverbs 23:22

These are convicting words from the mouth of our King. The world has taken and twisted them, but we need to renew our minds through the Word of Truth.

When we heed the great advice of the very Ancient of Days, we will avoid the foolish mistakes of youth, receive wise counsel to overcome trials that seem insurmountable, and honour Him who sent the older ones into our lives.

What keeps you from befriending older people? Do you think you could benefit from friends older than yourself? In what way?