“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’” (1 Pt. 5:5)

I’ve always had a soft spot for older people. Maybe that’s because both my mom and my dad were the youngest of a handful of children, and all my grandparents were older by the time I was born. I spent countless hours with my grandparents during my childhood. In addition, my mom started working at the local senior center when I was just sixteen, and she still works there today.

After I graduated from college, I worked in the Aging Services department at the South Western Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA), where I spent eight or nine years referring older folks to services they needed and then monitoring the Older Americans Act Title III nutrition program for the eight-county area. When I left the agency, I volunteered at the local senior center where my mom worked as a way to give back to my community.

One of the fears of the elderly is that they no longer have a purpose. When they are physically unable to do things they used to do, or their minds aren’t as sharp as before, they must be allowed to carve out a new place. Even King David, the youth who slayed Goliath and the warrior who fought so many battles, worried about losing that vigor in his old age: “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone” (Psalm 71:9).

In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul tells us to take care of our elders: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

It’s not always possible to care for someone at home. We live in a culture where jobs and making a living often take us far from family or consume the majority of our time or energy. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of them when we can and are able.

While we may not all be called to help the elderly directly, we all can show respect and value the experiences our elders have gone through. Currently, our culture devalues the experiences of the older generations and seems to take delight in finding new ways to cut them down. However, Leviticus 19:32 says, “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” After all, Lord willing, we will all be there ourselves someday.

Dear Jesus, thank you for the elders I grew up with who shared so much wisdom gleaned from a lifetime of struggles and joys. I pray for the older folks who want to be seen and to feel they have a purpose. Help us let them know they are valuable. Amen.