Song: “Listen To Wisdom” by FaithLight Worship

Scripture Focus: Proverbs 19:20 (ESV) – “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

Good morning, my brothers and sisters.

This morning, I want to talk about something that I believe every generation needs to hear, but perhaps especially our younger generations.

My message this morning is simple: Do not forsake the counsel of your elders.

There is a kind of wisdom that you cannot get from a classroom.

You cannot download it from the internet.

You cannot get it from social media.

And you cannot always get it from a book.

Some wisdom only comes from living.

It comes from experience.

It comes from trials.

It comes from mistakes.

It comes from falling and getting back up.

It comes from making choices and living long enough to see the consequences of those choices.

And when God places someone in your life who has already traveled down a road that you are just beginning to walk, you would be wise to listen.

“Times Have Changed”

One of the things younger people sometimes say when an older person tries to give them advice is: “That was back in your day.” Or: “Things are different now.”

And you know what? They’re right.

Times have changed.

Technology has changed.

The workplace has changed.

The way we communicate has changed.

The way people date has changed.

The way we conduct business has changed.

The speed at which information travels has changed.

But there are some things about human life that have not changed.

Bad decisions still have consequences.

Pride still causes people to stumble.

Debt still has to be paid.

Dishonesty still destroys trust.

The wrong relationships can still bring heartache.

Anger can still cause you to say something you cannot take back.

Poor decisions can still follow you for years.

And wisdom is still better than foolishness.

So, while the world around us may change, many of the principles our fathers, mothers, grandparents, and elders learned through experience remain valuable.

The scenery may change.

But many of the potholes are still in the same road.

Someone Has Already Walked That Road

Imagine that you are preparing to travel down a road you’ve never traveled before.

Someone comes to you and says: “I’ve been down that road. About five miles ahead, there’s a dangerous curve. Slow down when you get there.”

Now you have two choices.

You can say: “You’re old. That was years ago. I’m driving a newer car. I know what I’m doing.”

Or you can say: “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

The person who warned you cannot force you to slow down.

They can only tell you what they learned.

And sometimes that is exactly what our elders are trying to do.

They’re not always trying to control you.

They’re not necessarily saying that they know everything.

Sometimes they are simply saying:

“I’ve seen this before.”

“I’ve made that mistake.”

“I’ve trusted somebody I shouldn’t have trusted.”

“I’ve spent money I shouldn’t have spent.”

“I’ve walked away from opportunities I should have taken.”

“I’ve stayed in situations I should have left.”

“I’ve spoken when I should have remained silent.”

“I’ve remained silent when I should have spoken.”

And what they’re really telling you is: “You don’t have to learn this lesson the way I learned it.”

That is a gift.

Wisdom Can Save You Pain

There are some lessons we learn through experience.

But there are other lessons we can learn through somebody else’s experience.

And those are often much cheaper lessons.

Somebody else can tell you: “Don’t touch that stove. It’s hot.”

You can believe them.

Or you can touch it yourself.

Either way, you’re going to learn that the stove is hot.

The difference is that one lesson comes through wisdom, and the other comes through pain.

That’s why Proverbs 19:20 says: “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

Notice that Scripture connects listening today with wisdom tomorrow.

What somebody tells you today may not seem important right now.

But five years from now…

Ten years from now…

Twenty years from now…

You may find yourself saying:

“Now I understand what my father was trying to tell me.”

“Now I understand what my mother meant.”

“Now I understand what Grandpa was talking about.”

“Now I understand why Grandma kept warning me.”

The tragedy is that sometimes we understand their wisdom only after we’ve experienced the pain they were trying to help us avoid.

Elders Are Not Perfect

Now, let me make something clear.

Being older does not automatically make someone wise.

Age alone does not guarantee good judgment.

Our elders are human beings.

They have made mistakes.

They have blind spots.

They don’t know everything.

Scripture never tells us to abandon discernment.

But neither should we make the opposite mistake and assume that because someone is older, their wisdom is outdated.

You don’t have to accept every piece of advice someone gives you.

But you should be humble enough to listen.

Listen.

Ask questions.

Consider what they’re saying.

Compare it with God’s Word.

Pray about it.

And then make your decision.

There is a big difference between hearing counsel and blindly following counsel.

But there is also a big difference between exercising discernment and refusing to listen because you think you already know everything.

Ask Them While You Still Can

And there’s something else I want our younger listeners to understand.

If you are blessed to still have your father…

Your mother…

Your grandfather…

Your grandmother…

Your great-grandparents…

Or older men and women in your family, your church, or your community who have lived through things you have never experienced—

Talk to them.

Don’t wait.

Ask them questions.

Ask your father: “What was the biggest mistake you made when you were my age?”

Ask your grandfather: “What do you wish somebody had told you when you were twenty-five?”

Ask your mother: “What did you learn about marriage, relationships, money, raising children, or choosing friends?”

Ask your grandmother: “If you could live your life again, what would you do differently?”

Those conversations can become treasures.

Because there may come a day when you would give almost anything to sit across the table from them one more time and ask just one more question.

Don’t wait until their chair is empty to realize how much wisdom used to sit in it.

Elders, We Have a Responsibility Too

But I also want to speak to those of us who are older.

We have a responsibility as well.

If we want younger generations to listen to us, then we must be willing to talk to them with love, patience, and humility.

Don’t just tell them what you did right.

Tell them where you went wrong.

Tell them about the mistakes.

Tell them about the failures.

Tell them about the bad decisions.

Tell them about the opportunities you missed.

Tell them about the consequences you had to live with.

Sometimes our scars will teach more than our trophies.

Young people don’t need us pretending that we lived perfect lives.

They need us to say:

“I’ve been where you are.”

“I understand what you’re facing.”

“And here’s what I learned.”

That is how wisdom moves from one generation to another.

Don’t Repeat What You Could Have Learned

There’s an old pattern in human life.

One generation makes mistakes.

The next generation refuses to listen.

And then they repeat the same mistakes.

Different year.

Different clothes.

Different technology.

Different vocabulary.

Same mistake.

And then eventually they become the older generation trying to warn somebody else.

We can break that cycle.

We can become a generation that values the wisdom of those who came before us while still preparing the generation that comes after us.

That’s how wisdom becomes a legacy.

Final Thought

As you go through your day, I want you to remember this: You don’t have to personally fall into every pit to know that the pit is dangerous.

Sometimes God allows someone who has already climbed out of that pit to stand beside the road and warn you.

Listen to them.

Honor their experience.

Ask questions.

Seek counsel.

Use discernment.

And most importantly, measure every piece of human wisdom against the Word of God.

Because sometimes the wisdom of those who walked before you can save you from the pitfalls ahead.

Proverbs 19:20 says: “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

So today, if you have an elder in your life whose wisdom you trust, don’t just wait for them to come to you.

Go to them.

Sit down.

Listen.

Ask questions.

 You may discover that the answer to something you’re struggling with today is sitting inside the experience of somebody who walked that road twenty, thirty, forty, or even fifty years before you.

Their experience was expensive.

Don’t make them pay for the lesson and then refuse to receive the wisdom.

Learn from their trials.

Learn from their mistakes.

Learn from their victories.

Learn from their scars.

And then take that wisdom, add your own experience to it, and one day pass it on to somebody coming behind you.

Because wisdom should never stop with us.

It should travel from generation to generation.

May God bless you, may He give you wisdom for the road ahead, and may He give us the humility to listen to those who have already traveled some of the roads we’re just beginning to walk.