“The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.” Proverbs 20:29
Every season of life contains unique grace and opportunity. As Solomon considers the span of life, he does not consider one season greater than the other. Age and youth are not set up as adversaries or rivals. At the same time, neither are complete and self-sustaining. Each have real needs. Each also have ability not found in the other. So what can we learn from this realistic portrayal of life:
Contentment – The season of life that you currently reside in will quickly change. You will never have your dream scenario, the perfect combination of strength and experience. And by the way, this is a good thing. If you did, you would trust in your own abilities instead of looking to God. So don’t wish away today with a false promise of tomorrow.
Complementary Community – What stands out prominently is the beauty and strength of the whole picture. Remove either (strength without wisdom or wisdom without strength) and the picture completely changes. This should be very instructive. Do you fill your life with people of all ages? The Western way is for life to be lived by age segregation. This is not God’s way. The only way to break this tendency is to be intentional about it. God has designed for the old and young to freely mingle and mutually benefit.
Diversity – God has designed diversity into our lives. Immaturity should not anger or annoy the old, just as rigidness and caution should not exasperate the young. We need to view differing perspectives as a gift from God, not an obstacle to be ridiculed or overcome.
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