Honour thy Elders
1 Timothy 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 5:2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.
Honour means to have deep admiration for someone, usually because of their abilities, achievements, or special qualities. An elder is someone who is older, and often this is also someone who has authority or high regard, the could be our parent, teachers, boss, etc
An elder is also defined as an official in a church, such as someone who serves as a spiritual leader or shepherd, sometimes with a preaching or pastoral role.
In many areas, the scripture talks about respecting our elders among us. Leviticus 19:32 urges the people to “stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God.”
Proverbs 31:23 mentioned how the husband of a woman with noble, honorable character is “respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.”
And Titus 2:2 urges followers of Christ to “teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.”
respect is important to God. We are to give God respect, of course. But giving respect is also a positive in human relationships and a good way to honor people.
The Bible teaches us that all people deserve respect, for it says we are to love, respect, and appreciate others just as we do our own selves.
The danger of not being respectful toward our elders manifested In 2 Kings 2, the Lord’s prophet Elisha was journeying to Bethel when he encountered a group of boys who were being incredibly disrespectful, taunting and jeering at him and calling him “baldy.” So Elisha turned around and cursed them—and two bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the boys.
It is important we show honour to our elders because, One, it’s the right thing to do. God sent these men and women ahead of us, and caring and respecting them is a way of honoring and showing gratitude for what they did to pave the way for those who came after them.
We show respect because we are commanded to care. Jesus told us in Matthew 22:39 to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Thirdly, we show respect because it helps us model obedience. When we are humble and adopt a servant’s heart, we model the kind of love Jesus wants. As Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, he “did not come to be served but to serve.”
Also, the concept of honoring our parents, our original elders, is high on God’s list of Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12).
There are so many ways we can show respect to our elders today. We can spend time with them, listening to them, expressing gratitude, and giving them attention. We can heed their advice, especially if we know them to be godly people.
We can provide for them, bringing or cooking meals, doing chores, running errands, or offering financial support.
We can provide opportunities for them to serve and we can welcome their wisdom, guidance, and contributions instead of making them feel ignored or sidelined.
Respecting our elders is a way we can show love and honour for God, who deserves our ultimate respect.
Respect the Elders around you so as to earn their wisdom and God's blessings.
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of today in Jesus Christ name
2. Lord, forgive me for my unruly attitude towards the Elders in Jesus Christ name.
3. Lord, help me to care for the Elders around me in Jesus Christ name.
4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.