Lesson 3 From Youth to Maturity

"At Twenty we worry about what others think of us; at forty we don't care about what others think of us; at sixty we discover they haven't been thinking about us at all."  Author Unknown

If we think about it, this is a realistic quote (lol).  When we are young and in our 20s, we (most) only think about ourselves and what others think of us; especially the youth of today.  If you've reached 40 or close to it, yo9u realize that what people think of you is not as important as what you think of yourself.  Then we have all seen cases where once we are elderly, sometimes, in some cases, we are left alone and not thought of.

There is no better place to compare attitudes about youth and aging than within the word of God.  For every woman, the examination process begins now because Titus 2:3-4 tells us that older women should encourage younger women.  So if we are going to do this, we have to learn how to respond rightly with each other...young and old.  We should be encouraging and encouraged to learn to understand how God uses people of all ages to help us grow.

It is common nature for us to feel more comfortable with/around thoseinour same generation.  However, this keeps us from reeping the benefits of getting to know those of other age groups.  It is God's design for people of all ages and life situations to minister to one another in teh church body.

Remember God desires the older women to train the younger women in the art of Godly living.
Gradually the inner lives of both younger and older women are revealed as they pray and study scripture together.

Even if you've just recently become a Christian and your former life was not characterized as it should be, you can still begin the process of ministering to other women in your life.  God saved you to save others.

Job 12:12---Wisdom is with aged men, with long life is understanding.

Developing the porper mindset towards those older
Because God uses older, mature women to train the younger women, the younger women should develop a mindset listen and respect older women so they can receive their help and counsel.

Lev. 19:32  Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and reserve your God.  I am the Lord.

The book of Proverbs calls gray hair the crown of glory and honor (Prov. 19:31, 20:29)

Develop the proper mindset toward younger women by older women
Although we get wiser with age, young women often lead the way in their deligent pursuit of godly wisdom and biblical understanding.

1 Tim. 4:12  Don't let anyone look dwon on your because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

It can be difficult for an older person to receive encouragement and instruction from a young person, but its helpful to remember God has often used young people in His plans.

Steps to Spiritual Growth (reiterated)

1. Salvation---life changing salvation is your building block for Godly living.  Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior.
2. Seek God's Word---God uses His word to teach us about Himself and His ways.  Because the Word of God is what he uses to transform us into His image, the mor eyou read His Word and let it dwell in you, the more you will grow and love the Lord.  At minimum, you should read your Bible each day and have quiet time with God. 
3. Seek to be rid of sin---lay aside sin and anything that destracts or entangles you.  Salvation calls for you to turn away from sin but you have to practice it.
4. Seek to obey God---Your obedience to God is what sets you apart and marks you as a Christian.

1 John 2:3  By this we know that we have some to know Him, if we keep His commandment