Older and wiser?

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leelee

leelee

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2011
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I have always wondered about this older and wiser theory (I know some pretty daft 60 year olds) but what do you think, also do you think an older christian has more wisdom than someone more recently saved?

I personally don't but was curious about the general consensus.
 
leelee said:
I have always wondered about this older and wiser theory (I know some pretty daft 60 year olds) but what do you think, also do you think an older christian has more wisdom than someone more recently saved?

I personally don't but was curious about the general consensus.
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There is a book called Wisdom of Solomon.

Wisdom 4.
[8] For old age is not honored for length of time,
nor measured by number of years;
[9] but understanding is gray hair for men,
and a blameless life is ripe old age.

Book of Wisdom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Spiritual growth and maturity do not relate to age.

When we are first born again, we are considered spiritually immature, regardless of our age.

Ephesians 4: 11-15: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ"


2 Peter 3:18: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"

1 Peter 2:2: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"

1 Peter 2:21: For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (grow up spiritually like Jesus)


As Christians, we need regular nourishment of God's word, reading and applying God's word to our lives. We must be taught, rebuked, corrected and trained by God's word. This equips us. Also - we need to walk in the Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in thought word and deed (Romans 6:11-14)

James 1: 23-25: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does"

The scriptures do show us what we look like Spiritually and shines light on the areas where we need to grow.
 
I'd say the concept is generally true. The key is not to expect that people at a certain age hit a certain level of wisdom, but that each person becomes wiser than they were. So a person may be daft at 60 but that doesn't mean they aren't wiser than they were 30 years ago still.
 
Ugly said:
I'd say the concept is generally true. The key is not to expect that people at a certain age hit a certain level of wisdom, but that each person becomes wiser than they were. So a person may be daft at 60 but that doesn't mean they aren't wiser than they were 30 years ago still.
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See I think that (for example) my pastor helen who is 25 frequently shows far more wisdom than most people 3 times her age, I don't just mean in scripture etc but in general day to day life. So I suppose my might be wrong. I don't really know how to phrase it though.
 
For the most part if one is older they are wiser, but not all the time. One quick way to tell if someone is truly wise is if they claim they are wise and say you should respect them because of it; they probably aren't as wise as they think. There is a difference between wisdom and knowledge.
 
James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him".

The wisdom that comes from God is accessible to everyone, regardless of age. When I was just a little munchkin, I heard this verse, and thought "I want that!" So, I asked God to grant me wisdom. Well, several years later, we had a problem on our farm involving electrical circuits and wiring (long story). If you knew me very well, you would know that I'm pretty much clueless when it comes to electrical things. But, when I heard the problem, I knew the answer, and was able to tell the electrician how to temporarily fix it until the needed parts could arrive (I was about twelve, I think). The fix worked like a charm, and everyone seemed surprised by my solution, and I was probably the most surprised of all. I walked away wondering "How on earth did I think of that?" And suddenly I heard in my spirit "Well, you asked for wisdom, didn't you?" And then I remembered my prayer, and realized that there were other times when I seemed to know an answer that I shouldn't have known. Ask God for wisdom, no matter how old or wise you already are, and He will give it to you if you stand on faith that you will receive it. Wisdom is an area where He definitely gives abundantly, and He wants us to have a lot! :)

P.S. This was not meant to make anyone look to me as being wise, I'm just sharing something that I experienced and want others to experience, as well :)
 
I also believe, 'Older is wiser, is generally true, especially if you're a christian. Nobody gets away from the molding hand of God or from being corrected by Him and so we learn.
 
In my experience, age has nothing to do with wisdom. Wisdom comes from the experiences you're dealt, and what you choose to take away from them.

I think said idea applies to spiritual wisdom as well for the most part.
 
A person of any age may be just overflowing with wisdom, but if what they say has no relevance to your life whatsoever, you're probably going to think they're full of it.
 
I think the experiences thing is true. I once had a debate with someone who told me to sit down and be quiet because I was half his age and didn't know anything. I was feeling a little abnoxious at the time so started asking him things which I knew he wouldn't know the answers to. But I think the biggest mistake we can make is to presume that people do not have anything to contribute. People have their own "specialist subjects"
 
MissCris said:
A person of any age may be just overflowing with wisdom, but if what they say has no relevance to your life whatsoever, you're probably going to think they're full of it.
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Wow that explains a lot. I must be full of wisdom then. Thanks!!
 
I think wisdom is a gift God can bestow upon anyone of any age.

Experience IS an excellent teacher. However, it doesn't appear that everyone has the same desire to grow and learn, so you could have a new christian soaking up every morsel the Holy Spirit is feeding him/her, while someone who is older may have become content with where they are in their spiritual growth (a very dangerous place to be).

I do want to say though that, whether we consider them wiser or not, godly wisdom would certainly call US to honor our elders. It really grieves me to see our elders treated with disrespect. It can't be pleasing to the Lord.
 
When we are first born again, we are considered spiritually immature, regardless of our age.
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That is very true. I am 65 but came to Christ relatively late in life. I have seen teenagers on CC who I consider wiser than me, when it comes to matters of faith. That being said, I think that age gives a person a certain perspective on life that younger people cannot duplicate. This sometimes allows us to apply our Christian principles to situations in ways which younger people might not see.

And while I mean no disrespect, it is true that the older a person is the less he or she has been exposed to the "progressive" education system. That means that we know real history, that we learned the real meaning of Thanksgiving, for example, and we were taught the Ten Commandments as rules to live by; not as something to be thrown out of courtrooms.

So while age doesn't necessarily translate to wisdom, I think it does help someone who is trying to follow Christ. We have seen firsthand what the devil can do, and we are alert to his tricks.

Besides, the older you get, the less time you have to get it right. ;)
 
I would like to meet older adults that really want to talk about the Lord and the bible
 
very true brother, maturity comes with understanding, wish all had it.
 
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