Younger people be subject to the elders… for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Before there were Millennials, there were Gen Xer’s. And before that, there were Baby Boomers. Each new generation of young adults views their elders as clueless about life. The ink is still drying on their diplomas, hormones still driving most decisions, but the young often assume that they are the proud possessors of knowledge that bypassed previous generations. It’s the curse of youth. While the young bring to the table zeal, idealism, and fresh approaches, the older generation has been there, done that. They watched their own youthful ideals wither under the harsh glare of reality and want to spare their kids some pain. But youth, by nature, is intoxicated with its own importance, drinking deeply from the frothy mug of pride.

Our world tells us that pride is essential for success, but the Bible says God opposes the proud. So how can we avoid being opposed by God? We look for these clues: Pride is unteachable. It is convinced of its superior thinking and takes offense when evidence highlights the flaws. Pride argues, rebukes, and broadcasts its opinion as though the ideas were original. It champions the latest causes without examining them through the lens of past experience and wants to instruct rather than listen. Pride cannot see itself in the mirror, so it misses golden opportunities to grow wiser. Humility, however, sits at the feet of those who’ve gone before. It learns from its own mistakes and those of its elders. It recognizes that experience must trump brilliant ideas because there’s nothing new under the sun. The proud learn too late that it’s the humble learners who win God’s favor.

Final Thought:  Is your approach to life causing God to oppose you or give you grace?

Prayer: Father, help me be honest with myself about pride. I get so convinced that I’m right that I don’t listen to time-tested experience. But that’s how I learn. I’d rather be humble with your grace than proud and resisted. In Jesus’ name, Amen.