While it is important to act your age atΒ anyΒ age, itβs evenΒ moreΒ important for a Christian to act in such a way that is becoming to the truth of Godβs Word, as Paul told Timothy to remind older men, saying,
βSpeak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be soberβ¦ temperateβ¦β (Titus 2:1,2).
If aged Christian men want to live in such a way that is becoming to sound doctrine, they must beΒ sober.Β But the word βsoberβ hasΒ anotherΒ meaning in Scripture. Paul wrote the Romans,
βI sayβ¦ to every manβ¦ not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;Β but to think soberlyβΒ (Rom. 12:3).
Do you see how that verse defines the word βsoberβ asΒ not thinking too highly of yourself?
If youβre wondering why Paul would have to say this to aged men, it is because some of them are like King Nebuchadnezzar, who got to the end of his life and said,
βIs not this great Babylon,Β that I have builtΒ for the house of the kingdomΒ by the might of my powerβ¦?βΒ (Daniel 4:30).
Similarly, some aged men look back at their lives and think, βWasnβt I something? Look at all that I accomplished in my life!β But thatβs not thinkingΒ soberly.Β Itβs thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. And thatβs certainly not a fitting way for an agedΒ ChristianΒ man to think.
Paul also says that aged men should be βtemperate,β a word that meansΒ moderate.Β It is related to the wordΒ temper,Β of course, a word that we always associate withΒ anger.Β But anger is what happens when youΒ loseΒ your temper. Your temper is the calm, moderate way in which we are all supposed to look at thingsΒ withoutΒ losing our temper.
Why would aged men need to be told to be temperate? Well, not all aged men can look back at their lives and think highly of themselves because of what they accomplished. Some look back and getΒ angryΒ that they didnβt accomplishΒ moreΒ in their lives. If you know any angry old men, that might be why. But Paul says that aged men should be temperate instead.
Thatβs because if youβre an agedΒ ChristianΒ man,Β youβve accomplished more in life than you think. In speaking of the Judgment Seat of Christ where your Christian life will be judged, Paul wrote,
ββ¦judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comeβ¦Β then shall every man have praise of GodβΒ (I Corinthians 4:5).
When the Lord comes,Β allΒ believers will have praise of God when their lives are reviewed. So in the meantime, donβt be looking back at your life and judging yourself to be a failure, and getting angry about what youΒ thinkΒ you didnβt accomplish in life. According to that verse, you have accomplished aΒ praiseworthyΒ amount of things in the eyes of God, no matter what age you might be. You have His Word on it! source
