Aged / Elderly

16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life. 

If a person has lived a long and godly life, they are a tremendous resource. You should be anxious to sit under their teaching. You should press them for information on what it was like to live in their day. What skills do they possess that would benefit you? Were they successful in raising their children? To what do they credit their success? Rather than relegating the elderly to nursing homes and visiting them on Christmas and birthdays, why not include them in your home? Let a godly grandmother influence your children. Allow a holy old man to teach your sons and daughters the Way.

17:6 Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.

The elderly universally appreciate grandchildren. Their grandchildren are a clear indication that their line, their thought patterns and beliefs will go on. Grandchildren are, in a limited sense, a type of immortality. If at all possible, do not deprive an elderly person of contact with their progeny. Godly parents should be the pride of their children. Children should be able to point to their ancestors and say with reverence “Those were godly people. I am blessed because of their lives.” A child who does not appreciate that will suffer the consequences of his or her ingratitude. A parent who does not make that possible for his or her children will reap the harvest of their wicked ways.