The Beauty of Becoming

One day you will be older and wiser, but, not that long ago, you were young and hungry.

The older I get, the more I realize both are good and both are gifts, and each one makes you appreciate the other, both for yourself and for others.

I'm not sure which is better, but I think the answer is neither is better, because both are best. I think true beauty is found in learning from both, and both are truly necessary for beautiful growth.

Scripture gives honor to each season. The Kingdom of God has a place and purpose for the young and the old, the eager and the experienced, the ones just beginning and the ones who have walked faithfully for decades.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, as an older mentor, Paul gave young Timothy this encouragement, 

“Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT)

And he shared the following words to encourage Titus, his “true son in the faith” (Titus 1:4, NLT),

“As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God.” (Titus 2:1-3, NLT)

The training ground of youth, and the wisdom of seniority, both are needed, and both can be can be used powerfully by God to further His Kingdom.

There is something boldly beautiful about youthful passion. It is uninhibited and not as limited by fear or disappointment. They chase big dreams and take big risks to achieve them, learning as they go, knowing that is the only way they’ll grow.

But there is also something wildly wonderful about wisdom that comes with time. The older and wiser have weathered storms, dealt with disappointment, learned difficult lessons, and discovered God’s faithfulness through both joyful and painful seasons. Their lives tell the stories of the endurance, grace, and perseverance that formed the wisdom they gained along the way, 

The goal isn't to choose one over the other, to want one over the other, or to miss the one you’re currently in because you are waiting for or wanting to go back to the other. The goal is to learn from both.

Grow older and wiser, but never lose your hunger. Grow in maturity, but remain teachable. Gain wisdom, but keep your wonder.

One of the greatest dangers in life is believing we’ve arrived. The moment we think we know it all is the moment we stop growing. Humility keeps our hearts open, and teachability keeps us moving forward.

When we remain teachable, others become more reachable. The people who impact others most are often those who never stop being students themselves.

So embrace the age you are right now. Celebrate where you've been. Be grateful for the lessons that have shaped you. Anticipate where God is leading you next. Simply trust the process of becoming.

Because becoming is exactly what life is all about — a continual invitation to grow deeper, love better, and know God more fully.

There is beauty in being young and hungry, AND there is beauty in being older and wiser.

AND there is something uniquely beautiful about living in the tension between the two — remembering who you once were without longing to go back, anticipating who you are becoming without rushing ahead, and honoring your past while embracing your future.

We can gain wisdom without losing wonder. We can grow in maturity without letting go of humility.

We experience the best of both worlds when we learn to live in the tension of the two and then learn from the tension of the two.

The person you have yet to come is worth getting to know, and the person you once were should never be forgotten.

The younger version of you can still teach you a thing or two about faith, courage, and possibility, and the older version of you is still becoming someone worth listening to.

Mentorship in multigenerational relationship models this concept quite beautifully.

So, no matter your age or life stage, always have someone older and wiser pouring into you. Sit with those who have walked a little longer and little farther down the road of life. Learn from their victories, their mistakes, and their faithfulness.

And then turn around and pour into someone younger than you. Give what has been given to you. Wisdom’s work and worth lives on as we pass it on to others.

Live to grow. Grow to live. At every age and every stage.

God is not finished with us yet. The young still have much to learn, and the old still have much to offer.

And all of us are somewhere in the beautiful process of becoming.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV)

He has made everything beautiful in its time. The verb is in the present perfect tense. This means an action that occurred in the past but still has an ongoing, continuous result or connection to the present.

So, this implies that God has made (already) and is still making (continuously) everything beautiful in its time. Everything includes you and me. We are beautiful now — not someday, not once we’ve figured everything out, but now — in this season, at this age, in this stage of becoming.

There is beauty in where we’ve been, and there is beauty in where we’re going, and there is immeasurable beauty in who God is shaping us to be along the way.