(The following is the October 11 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Titus 2 and pay close attention to verses 1-8.)

Paul gave Titus instructions for men and women in the church, both young and old. Each has a vital role to fill:

• Older men are “to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance” (v. 2).
• Older women are “to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good so that they may encourage the young women” (vv. 3-4).
• Young women are “to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered” (vv. 4-5).
• Young men are “to be self-controlled in everything” (v. 6).

Healthy churches ideally have strong representation from all age groups, assuming the community demographics support that possibility. If a church skews overwhelmingly old or young, those present fail to benefit from the missing generations’ perspectives, experiences, and wisdom. It’s helpful if older believers teach and mentor younger ones. Older Christian role models fill a much-needed gap for those who grow up in homes without a Christian mother and father. Intergenerational experiences can serve worthwhile purposes in challenging and building up all ages in the church.

Cherish and engage with other generations. Love and respect them, teach them, and learn from them.

Next Step:
Thank God for the generations present in your church. Befriend someone at church much older or younger than yourself. Initiate conversations to know each other better and help each other grow.