respecting your elders

I remember growing up in church and seeing a lot of "older" people who I really had a lot of respect for. I remember men who were ushers, deacons and trustees that I thought possibly might never do anything wrong. I remember seeing ladies in the church that seemed so godly it was almost impossible to think of them as doing anything wrong. Ofcourse these feelings were as a kid not fully understanding, but they were also my perception of people. As I look around churches today I see people who need more integrity, more guidance, and more elders to respect and look up to. I have seen through the years so many pastors, deacons, trustees, and older members that the teens and kids do not respect because they don't command that respect. Respect from children and teens for older adults is almost automatic, it has to be broken to be lost. They automatically respect their pastor and older members based on age and position in the church, but that with time either grows or tarnishes. Those men that I respected as a child, some are still alive and the ones that are still alive I still respect the same way I did as a child. Can you say that about all of the older people you went to church with, the ones that you specifically respected?
Teens especially are hard on adults, they don't want someone to be a part of something that hardly ever shows up, they see right through that. They don't want someone who isn't consistent in their actions either. Teenagers are under a lot of pressure, but they turn that pressure right around and put the spotlight on the adults. If the adults aren't living up to expectations why should they?
Titus 2:2-3 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in teh way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy att home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
The word that jumps off the page at me in these verses as Paul instructs Titus is then. The word then tells us that unless the men and women are living in a way that demands respect from the younger members there will be no chance they can teach the younger generation. No teenagers, young adult, or child wants to learn about self control or purity from someone who is anything but.
As adults we have got to live in a way that is Christlike so that the next generations will want that for themselves. So watch your walk, or don't even bother with the talk. Don't bother trying to lead young people if you aren't leading yourself.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!