A few years ago a friend of ours was getting ready to undergo chemotherapy. I wanted to do something to serve him. Since there was really nothing I could do to “make it better”, I wanted to do something to help him in a practical way. Something that might help him through what he was about to face.
I called another friend, who had just lost her mother after taking care of her through a long battle with cancer. She gave me ideas of things I could put in a package that would be helpful to the young man with cancer. Things like chap stick, mints, tissue, etc. I don’t even remember everything I put in there. I came up with a few things myself, but she had such great ideas because she had gone through it with her mother.
The combination of my few ideas and her input made for a box full of things that could potentially serve the young man with cancer.
I put together the care package and we went to visit him. He and his wife took the package and thanked us. Later his wife told me that after we left, her husband looked at her and said, “I’m not going to need this stuff!!” BUT, as soon as he started the chemotherapy he asked for the package! The things in it were exactly what he needed! He was very grateful to have the package after he began to experience all the side affects of chemotherapy.
I think this is a good picture of how the body of Christ is supposed to function. Especially when it comes to older people speaking into the lives of younger people. It is so important that young people take the time to pray and ask for God to allow older, godly people into their lives to help walk them through the seasons of life that they have already walked through.
There is a wealth of God given wisdom that older people can offer a younger person that can help them make the wise decisions.
Unfortunately, the popular mentality among many young people today seems to be this: “I’m of legal age. I’m an adult. I can do what I want.” That is not a mature, humble, godly way of thinking, or a wise way of approaching life decisions. Ignoring parents input and not wanting input into your life from older Christians puts younger people in a position where they will very possibly find themselves in the middle of circumstance for which they they are not prepared.
The wisdom of older, godly people is like a care package they can give a younger person. They can offer them bits and pieces of wisdom that will help them be more prepared for the life ahead of them. They might think to themselves, “I’m not going to need this stuff…” But I will guarantee you that when you find yourself in the middle of hard circumstances, you will wish you had that “care package” of wisdom to open up and use!
People can’t make everything better for another person. We can’t live life for one another. But we can offer the gift of experience and possibly save you SOME difficulty in the future by offering you this care package of life experience. We can help each other make godly choices. We can help equip each other with what we might need in the future. Why WOULDN’T a person WANT the benefit of what other’s have learned? It just makes sense!
As a 49 year old, I have a 49 year old care package just waiting to be given away! I am excited about what’s in it! Some of what is in it are things I have learned from other people. Some of it is stuff I’ve learned from life experience. Most of what’s in it is what God has taught me along the way!
As a young person you show a lot of wisdom and maturity when you accept the “care package” that your parents or older people have to give you. You show humility when you acknowledge that you actually do “need the stuff” that’s in the care package they have to give you!
I challenge you to become less independent, and more dependant on God. I challenge you to become more willing to accept all the care packages offered you!
You’ll be glad you did!
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