In Eastern cultures, age is revered. In Western cultures, youth tends to be favored. However, in the Christian worldview, neither is true. In Christianity, our relationship with Christ determines our wisdom. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth.” Timothy’s maturity was not associated with his age but instead with his spiritual maturity. From the biblical perspective, there are many young people who have earned respect and some older people who have not. Chronological age alone does not make you someone to be revered.
I recently attended the funeral of an older gentleman who had been a Christian for a long time and was mature in his faith — he was old in Christ. But I know of another who is advanced in age and only recently came to faith. Chronologically, he’s old but he’s still a babe in Christ.
That’s not to say that spiritual maturity directly correlates with how many years someone has been a Christian. One could be old in age and a longtime Christian but immature in the faith. Paul encourages Timothy to be “an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith (and) in purity,” all of which are the marks of a more mature faith.
In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul speaks about the importance of renewing one’s personal relationship with God daily. He writes that the “outer self” ages but the “inner self is being renewed day by day.” That’s the work we do through prayer and Bible study — seeking God personally.
In our modern worldview, our value often is determined by what we can do.
In the Christian worldview, however, our value comes from our relationship to God — what He can do.
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