Patience With Youth

“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.” (Job 30:1 AV)

It always bothered me why Job put up with the nonsense of his four friends.  Why does he suffer those who accuse him of things that are not true?  Why does he tolerate counselors of no comfort?  What does he allow this unabated cruelty to spew forth from their lips?  Why does he even bother to answer their opinions with truth and fact?  Why not simply dismiss them all and send them back from where they came?  What drives Job to patiently answer each of their accusations?  Not me!  I would have had enough!  I would have escorted them off the property and never spoken to them again.  At least until they were willing to apologize for their gross behavior.  Job goes further than this.  When God restores him, he offers sacrifices for his friends lest God be angry with them.  Again, why?  The answer is found above.  His three friends are younger, less experienced, not as wise as Job, and lack the sophistication that comes with age.  Job takes pity on a generation that has not yet grown up.  They are cocky and full of themselves.  This leads them to say all sorts of foolish things.  Job’s grace is greater than their youthful arrogance.

It is easy to forget the days of our youth.  As we age, we forget we were just like they are.  We were full of ourselves and had all the answers.  Praise the LORD some wiser people took pity on us.  This reminds me of my Grandfather Gerwitz.  Grandpa G had a demeanor that said, “I love life and know how to laugh at most of it.”  You would think someone with this type of personality could not be taken seriously.  At the very least, he may not be someone to whom you would go for advice.  Yet, you would be wrong.  I remember the days when my father was in full control of his life.  He had many children, a good job, a loving wife, and a house to fit us all in.  I watched as my father and his father interacted.  There was something there that was hard to explain.  I saw the self-assuredness of my rocket-scientist father interact with his mail-man father.  Clearly, on paper, my father was the greater man.  But not really.  My Grandfather was a tremendously wise man.  He graciously loved his son and helped him in any way he could.  There was a day when Dad was really strapped for finances and Grandpa, who was extremely fiscally disciplined, would help out.  There were times when the tenseness of our family was easily dissolved by my Grandfather’s presence.  He was a gracious and wonderful soul who knew how to put life in any situation.  As he got older, the smiles didn’t come as frequently.  Age took its toll.  But the calm and assured demeanor he had always won the day.  He never lost his patience, raised his voice, or severely rebuked us grandchildren.  He put up with eleven kids running around his house and yard yet still maintained the air of the wisest man in the room.

It is easy to forget how we once were.  It is easy to lose patience with those who are immature.  Perhaps taking a moment or two, understanding we were once just like that.  Perhaps understanding the spirit of Job which he exercised toward his friends.  Maybe seeing it as an opportunity to drop a word of wisdom here and there.  Not an all-out assault.  That would never go over well.  But maybe an insightful and thought-provoking question that would help others to mature into that which God would have them to be.  We have to remember, what may seem like disrespect may be a way for them to figure things out.  This cycle repeats itself with every generation.  They will one day be in our shoes and have to do the same thing for a less mature generation.  It is the way of human development.  So, we can all show a little more patience.  We can all help those who may not know as much as they think they do to see things as they should.  This is our challenge.  This is their future.

P.S. This month will come to a close in just a few days.  So, too, will the chance to win a $20 gift card.  Have your friends or family become followers of this blog and you could be the winner.  Have them click the blue 'follow' button to the right.  If using a mobile browser, they need to scroll to the bottom, click on 'view web version', and do the same.  Winner will be announced Monday.  BTW, they need to mention you in a comment so we know who it was that steered them our way.