Here’s a secret I learned long ago. It’s a big one and it’ll propel you into a future of greatness….
STOP TAKING SOCIAL CUES FROM YOUR PEERS.
Instead of taking social cues from people your age, take cues from people ten and twenty years older than you. Are you looking for a church that has a lot of people who are your age so you can hang out? That’s fine, but try looking for one where most of the people have families and perhaps a little grey hair. Why? Because the sooner you can relate to their priorities, the sooner you’ll be ready for the next stage of life. I’m in my late thirties but I’m more interested in hanging out with people who are retired. What’s it teaching me? It’s teaching me what matters later in life is friendships, family and love. In matters of faith, what matters to them is not theological debate, but closeness with Jesus and unity with believers.
Thanks for saying these things about “the older guys” and what we have to contribute to you. And honestly, what you (and your generation) contributes to us is just as, if not more, important. It’s mutual. Our culture is not oriented to intergenerational interaction as some others are. We have a lot to learn from each other, I think.