and no I don’t mean the store. I’m referring to the lack of mentor-ship going on between older and younger people. Titus 2: 2-8 tells us
Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
There should be a constant sharing of knowledge and wisdom. There should be younger people watching older people and just seeing how to live. There should be older people teaching younger people, calling them out and turning them around. Experienced mothers should be standing beside new mothers showing them how to raise their children, how to Biblically discipline, how to love. Younger mothers should seek advice and council from older mothers. Newlyweds should watch and learn from older couples, couples who have been married for many years. As the verse says, the older woman should teach the younger how to love their husbands.
I don’t see this going on enough, and some times when it is tried to be shared the younger ones get upset. We like to try to think we have it all together, our pride keeps us from learning, and it keeps us miserable.
I have a few experienced mothers that I go to with questions from time to time, I always try to keep an open mind, and accept the advice they have to offer. Just yesterday I spent some time on the phone with a mother of 6, one who I know is Godly, and who could help me with my issue. I was given great advice, and prayed for. I only wish this dear woman lived closer!
One of the biggest things she reminded me is that we can’t be good mom’s out of our own strength. too often we think “oh I can do this, I can be a mom, it’s what I’m good at. I’ve got this.” We stop with a few children because we can handle it, we know we have it under control. The truth of the matter is that aside from Christ, we are nothing- especially not good parents. Many times every day I am reminded I can’t do this, my problem is that instead of pausing, and praying that God would fill me with His spirit and work through me, I try my hardest to do it on my own. Yah, it never works.
But that wasn’t my point of this blog… my point is simply that I wish as younger generations we would seek advice and be willing to accept council from older generations, and that older generations would be willing to step up and pass on their knowledge and wisdom. Then maybe we would all live in a way that no one would have anything to say against us.
