Titus 2.2 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. – St. Paul
Some men demand respect. Some men command respect (subtle difference). And some men choose to live lives worthy of respect. I get the demand part; like a spoiled baby, whoever yells the loudest gets what he wants. Men adopt this method from infancy.
I get the command part: tall, handsome (in worldly comparison); intelligent, wise, talented, etcetera. But not all men are created equal and some have advantages that others don’t; it isn’t a level playing field. We compare ourselves with ourselves and we judge by looks and other externals, but men are what men are. And boys will be boys unless they are taught to be men.
Paul told Titus to teach the older men to be temperate, [and] worthy of respect. To be self-controlled, and sound in their faith, their love, and their endurance. That’s a tall order, starting with temperance. How you noticed that with age, it gets harder to start some things, and harder yet, to stop some things. I think you can teach old dogs new tricks it just takes more work; the rules of repetition get more rigid.
On the other hand, an older guys gets it that caffeinated coffee after a certain hour may be problematic in more ways than one. Younger men seem to endure jawbreakers; older men tend to avoid them. Heck, even chewing gum and Jordan Almonds don’t quite ring the bell in the way they used to. So, to teach older men to start this or stop that may have its issues. Then again. Time may be on the teacher’s side…
But this issue of being worthy of respect is a whole new ballgame. Worthiness of respect is intentional. An older guy is more intentional naturally, because life, age, and physicality cause him to be. Time is on his side in reverse because he understands his limitations better in old age than when he was young and invincible. But it still requires effort on his part to be worthy of respect.
He may be more open about his mistakes and offer sagely counsel on how to avoid those mistakes. He may be more open about life and the lessons he’s learned and how to see life more fully, and appreciate it more. (Typically the older ones realize how preciously low the sand is in the upper portion of the hourglass, and make more of their moments meaningful.) The other thing an older guy might do, is demonstrate that he is still teachable. A hard-headed-hearted old grouch ain’t a-gonna get too far.
And, an older man will be worthy of respect as he demonstrates how to depend on God in his older years. One of my favorite verses in all the Bible is Isaiah 46.4 where God says: Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. An older man gains respect by living a life of full confidence in that promise.
Father, I look at these instructions from Paul differently than when I was younger, more brash, and thoughtless. Now, my times have changed for me, and it is my responsibility to live a life that demonstrates my faith and confidence in You; being strong and courageous in the process. It’s not really about winning or earning respect; it’s about loving You, seeking You, and living to help others to do so now, before their times change. Help me to do that and to make a difference in someone’s life as a result. Amen
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