Age Doesn't Always Bring Wisdom

"Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment." (Job 32:9)

Today I am celebrating 66 years of life. I am amazed at how much things have changed during my "brief" journey. I am also amazed that so much remains unchanged. We have much more technology, but wisdom seems to be an elusive quality.

I can remember home phones that were on party lines. You had to pay extra for a private line, and it was good entertainment to pick up the phone and listen to the conversations of your neighbors. Today, almost everyone carries a phone with them that can do much more than any early computer.

I can remember a time when we treated everyone with civility, even those with whom we disagreed. The Senatorial hearings on this date shows this is a bygone notion. Perhaps folks should pass a civility test before they are allowed to use social media or speak in important meetings. Of course, this would violate the notion of "free speech," but it would be a refreshing change.

I can remember when you could watch the evening news and you never knew the political leanings of the reporter, because he only desired to present the facts. Today, news in general is a platform of hysteria that is pushing an obvious agenda.

I can remember when church was a place for fellowship and worship rather than a place of mere entertainment. The preacher would preach the Word of God with a desire to see lives changed rather than a self-help speech that pacified us of our condition as long as we continued to give and support the program.

I can remember when sinful actions were committed in the shadows of secrecy. Today, sin is flaunted and society demands that we not only tolerate wickedness but we must celebrate it. To do less than endorse wickedness means that we are "intolerant."

I can remember when people were recognized for their ability and industriousness rather than their "education" and "connections." Some of the greatest preachers had very little formal training, but you knew they had spent much time with Jesus.

I can also remember that sin was just as black and deplorable in the "good old days" as it is in current time. No generation can claim that they were the best and brightest, but we definitely have a long way to go to reach our potential in the will of God.

I can remember when we looked forward to the future with hopeful anticipation. I am definitely looking forward to meeting the Lord Jesus and spending eternity with Him, but in the meantime, I would like to finish my race well. I am praying that God will again stir a generation and that they will yearn to see God do a work that will return us to a Biblical and moral mindset.

Hey younger people, give this older guy a reason to look forward to the future with hopeful anticipation! The ball's in your hands, don't fumble it.

This post originally appeared on Vann's blog on Sept. 4.