A Visionary or a Dreamer?

[ The day of the Lord ] ‘And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Joel 2:28 NIV

Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. Deuteronomy 7:32 NIV

The true Church of Jesus Christ is broad in the sense that it has room for young and old. Even now, I understand that I can learn from the younger folks who have a full heart for Jesus. Of course in the same way, our youth must recognise that with age comes experience, and that experience has often come with its own scars. They may not be visible, but they are there and are scars nonetheless.

One of the big things any parent does for their family, is to help them avoid some of the hurt and pain they suffered as they travelled their faith journey. There is a fine balance to be used by both the mature, and the newer Christian. We can and must learn from each other.

The older generation must never look down their long noses in dismay at the behaviour of the youth of our church. Do you remember what you were like at their age? We need to be honest as we think about that. Similarly, to avoid Spiritual danger, our young folks must not dismiss the old ‘wrinklies’ as though they have nothing to add to their lives. They do, and it is significant!

So while our young sons and daughters will prophesy and see visions, the older folks will recall their younger days of long past generations, and pass on the glories of those days. Both are important, but both age groups must be open to each other and willing to learn from the other. If we don’t, we are in great danger of missing out on so much Spiritual growth!