In many organizations, great value is placed in new ideas. A company that once was stagnant may find revitalization from the perspective of a young, visionary mind. However, recently we have seen with companies, that when “fresh, new ideas” lead a company from its original mission, it can be detrimental.
Sometimes we bring this mentality into the church. We say things like, “I hope our next elder is a little younger,” or “Someday he’s going to step down and we can start making some changes around here.” Some may even wish the old guard would just die out and stop holding us back.
This kind of thinking demonstrates a fundamental lack of respect for the men and women who worked diligently to pass on the ways of Christ. New ideas can be a great advantage in our rapidly changing culture. But, without our older members and leaders to guide us, we may lose sight of our mission and irreparably damage the congregation they worked so hard to preserve.
Do we not realize that we owe our salvation to our older generation? Who taught us to believe? Who taught us how to worship God? Who taught us how to evangelize? It was our elder brethren, who laid the work that we might stand on their shoulders and reap the reward of their faithful teaching.
In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul reminded his disciple where his faith came from. He wrote, “…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” Timothy’s faith was not something he could boast of in himself. His faith was taught by the mother and grandmother that came before him and strived to teach him the ways of God. Because of their dedication to the Lord and their love for their child, Timothy inherited a true faith that saved him from sin and led him to be a powerful worker in the church.
Sometimes, changes need to be made. But change for the sake of change has never been encouraged in Scripture. The Bible warns us to reject rebellion from His statutes and cling to what our forefathers taught us. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls’” (Jer. 6:16)
Instead of getting excited at the thought of what changes we might make once our elders are gone, why don’t we thank God for those who taught us the old paths and have worked tirelessly to make sure that we walk in them. If we have a godly respect for our elders, only then will we have the wisdom necessary to carry on the work they entrusted us with.