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!

Remember, Be An Example

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9 NLT

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 NLT

They’re too young to understand. They have no experiences of life in the raw. They are not as mature as we were at that age. Have you uttered these words about the youth of today? You are not alone, but when you look under the brash and sometimes loud exterior, you will be surprised to find a sensitive and wise young man or woman.

Unfortunately, society has given our youth a bad name, and we have gone along with the flow of general opinion, but based on what? The word of a jaundiced commentator who is afraid of competition? The very few examples we see in the media of the bad eggs who do everything bad and nothing right? But look closer and you will find a generation of teens who are no different than the teens of your day and mine. Yes, some were bad, but the vast majority were good, with kind hearts who would only ever want to do good, whether or not they called themselves a Christian.

Timothy was a ‘wet behind the ears’ young Christian, but Paul saw the good in his heart, and stood up for him. It was a lot like he was given a good character reference for an important job. That still happens today, right? And it was no different with the respect Paul had for young Timothy. One of the translations puts it this way, “Let no one look down on you because you are young…” I think we can take a lesson here, and not be so hasty to write off our young generation just because they are doing something different than we did in our day.

There is plenty of room in the Kingdom of God, both for the older ones who remember how God moved in the past, and the younger ones who need to be encouraged to set the Godly example the following generation after them need to see and experience!