When I was Young

Three times this week, it was said to me something like, “You’re getting old.”

Was I alarmed? Yes. Especially, since one of those comments came from a hairstylist that I was using for the first time. “And, here’s your tip!” (I didn’t cut her short.)

Was I offended? No. There is an aging process that I’m going through that I can’t deny. And, it’s happening to everyone else too. Whether it’s today or tomorrow, next year or in 10 years, I’m always going to be getting older. #FactofLife

What didn’t feel good about the comments is that I, like you, live in a culture that emphasizes youth and staying young.

This desire and priority of youth drives billions of dollars in our culture, which is a lot of social capital. This amount of money moving towards a single purpose is bound to have massive impression on our understanding of life and purpose.

So many of us can carry this cultural drive on staying young into our faith walks as well. And this might even seem right that we’d maintain a simple, elementary expression of our especially in light of what Jesus said (famously) in Mark 10:13-16

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.

This passage is often cited as a reason to keep our faith simple and that maintaining a childlike faith. But is Jesus expecting that we’d always keep a youthful, simple perspective of the Kingdom? What about the rest of The Story where there’s so much more about believer’s responding to a process of maturity in their faith

• Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (Hebrews 6:1)
• Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Colossians 1:28)
• Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 14:20)