Respect The Elderly
Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:32
God has a special compassion for the helpless and vulnerable. This includes the aged. The elderly, are oftentimes sidelined, ridiculed, rejected and even preyed upon in society. It is almost as if people lose their value as human beings once they grow old. We see news reports of the elderly being robbed of their life savings by greedy and wicked individuals. We see reports of the elderly sometimes being abused in nursing homes. But, as part of His guidelines for a prosperous society, God directed the Israelites to show respect for the elderly.
We are to "stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and reverence God." There even seems to be a link between respecting the elderly and revering God. It is almost as if God is saying, "respecting the elderly is tantamount to respecting me."
My family had an interesting experience some years ago in Mexico. We were traveling on a public bus when an elderly woman came on board at one stop. Immediately, my daughter got up and offered her seat to her. The aged woman was so thankful that she hugged my daughter and kept blessing her. Obviously, the woman was touched by the respect my daughter had shown her. I believe God was pleased and smiled on my daughter (and a proud dad).
If you are like me, you've probably driven impatiently to overtake a "slow" vehicle on the road only to realize that the driver was an elderly person! Then comes a sense of remorse for your "disrespectful attitude."
I am convinced that God smiles and blesses us when He sees us respecting the aged. It shows reverence for God Himself. The elderly are all around us: in our neighborhoods, in churches, in nursing homes, at the grocery stores, on the road and even in our homes as parents.
May we be filled with godly fear as we relate to the elderly. May we reach out and find ways of loving and caring for the elderly. May we not forget that the elderly were once as vibrant and energetic as we are and that one day, we will also become elderly.
We reap what we sow. If we sow love and respect, we will reap the same when it's our turn.
Respect the elderly. It is tantamount to revering God.
We are to "stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and reverence God." There even seems to be a link between respecting the elderly and revering God. It is almost as if God is saying, "respecting the elderly is tantamount to respecting me."
My family had an interesting experience some years ago in Mexico. We were traveling on a public bus when an elderly woman came on board at one stop. Immediately, my daughter got up and offered her seat to her. The aged woman was so thankful that she hugged my daughter and kept blessing her. Obviously, the woman was touched by the respect my daughter had shown her. I believe God was pleased and smiled on my daughter (and a proud dad).
If you are like me, you've probably driven impatiently to overtake a "slow" vehicle on the road only to realize that the driver was an elderly person! Then comes a sense of remorse for your "disrespectful attitude."
I am convinced that God smiles and blesses us when He sees us respecting the aged. It shows reverence for God Himself. The elderly are all around us: in our neighborhoods, in churches, in nursing homes, at the grocery stores, on the road and even in our homes as parents.
May we be filled with godly fear as we relate to the elderly. May we reach out and find ways of loving and caring for the elderly. May we not forget that the elderly were once as vibrant and energetic as we are and that one day, we will also become elderly.
We reap what we sow. If we sow love and respect, we will reap the same when it's our turn.
Respect the elderly. It is tantamount to revering God.
Prayer: Lord, I ask that you help me to respect and love the elderly. For, respecting them is loving you. Amen.