Parental Recap of Week 10 [24/25]

Passage: Ecclesiastes 11:12-12:8

Topic: Aging

Initial Discussion (at church)

“Youth is wasted on the young.” This never makes sense to the young – not only your children but even when you were young. William Hazlitt said that death and old age for the young are “words without meaning.” Young people may not fully comprehend the idea of being old but we all experience getting older – high school students were once 6th graders, 6th graders were once kindergarteners, volunteers were once in their 20s and 30s.

We have this misguided notion that things will naturally happen once we age. “I’ll be less lazy, more mature, kind, hospitable, sacrificial, wise, and so on.” Yet, the Teacher says we should not focus on ourselves and how to work on our weaknesses and sinful tendencies. Rather, we ought to focus first on God (“remember your Creator in the days of your youth, 12:1) before living as we think is best for us (11:9). Aging well is not just an outward maturing of what’s in us but also an inward maturing of what is outside of us, namely, knowing more who God is and what He has done for us in Christ.

I can’t help but hear our Lord’s words to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33). By following this commandment, our children can learn how to be young wisely and be “old” even now in their youth.

Continued Discussion (at home)

1.   Have an honest discussion about aging.

a. What do they remember about their younger years? What do they remember about a younger you (dad and mom)?

b. How do they feel about getting older? What are some reasons they are excited about getting older? Some reasons they are fearful or worried?

2.  Have an honest discussion about what it means to be “young” and “old”.

a. What is a young or old person? Is it age, biology, maturity, financial stability?

b. Share with your children areas where you see them getting old (maturity).

c. Share with your children areas where you still struggle with being young (immaturity).

3.  How does “remembering our Creator” and “seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness” help us age well more than us trying to mature on our own and in our
own ways?