Monday Memo 1176: Share Your Wisdom

There's an old adage that says, "you should respect your elders." I would agree but it's always best if an elder is respected not because of their past but because of their ongoing service to others. We read in Job that those up in years should have one important thing to give people:

Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old (Job 12:12, NLT).

We need the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before us, but later in the book, a caution is issued concerning the old:

“I am young and you are old, so I held back from telling you what I think. I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.' But there is a spirit within people, the breath of the Almighty within them, that makes them intelligent. Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice (Job 32:6-9, NLT).

Being advanced in years is no guarantee of wisdom and understanding. What's more, if someone has the wisdom and understanding, what are they doing with it? How can they make it available to others who need it? What are some ways to make one's wisdom available to those who need it?

Teaching is one way, but not just face-to-face but through technology and social media. But there's the problem, for many of those who are older are not in tune with technology while others are afraid of it and its implications. They don't want to lose their privacy. They don't wish to be "tied down" to using it regularly. They're afraid they won't do it properly and won't have enough energy or creativity to sustain their presence long term. Perhaps you share some of these concerns.

If that's not an option, then what about writing? Can you start to develop your writing skills so that you have something to say and know how to communicate it? The most important point in all this is to accept that you do have wisdom to share but you must be passionate, desperate even, to share it. If you have that attitude, then you'll find ways to broadcast what you have, perhaps teaming up with a younger person who can keep you current on how to use technology while you provide the content. If you don't want to write, then find every teaching opportunity that you can.

So what's it going to be? Will you sit in a rocking chair, wishing that someone would respect your gray hair, or will you give them a reason to sit up and take notice that you have something to say? I know for me, I plan on being active and sharing my lessons that my gray hair have brought me. I invite you to join me in that venture, no matter your age. Have a blessed week!