I led worship at a small church one Sunday and had a good time mingling some newer worship choruses with some old familiar hymns. You might not think you could mix “Trading My Sorrows” with “Victory in Jesus” but it definitely can be done. When the service was over an older saint, whom I respect greatly, thanked me for blending the old with the new. As soon as those words left her mouth I immediately thought of the following verse from the Bible:
Matthew 13:52
Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
Now, even though it is true that you can’t put new wine into old wineskins you still need to have some “old” wine sometimes. After all, people don’t walk into a restaurant and say, “Bring me your finest bottle of wine” and expect a bottle made last month.
People these days have forgotten the importance of “the old” as they try to find “something new.” But, here’s what I believe: we need new things to explore and discover while we stand on the foundation of old things that are proven and established over the years. The scribe, referred to in the above verse, is mentioned as having a treasure that he brings both new and old things from… a TREASURE! What kind of fool would throw out a 100 year old gold coin because “it’s old!” Nonsense! We must learn to appreciate both the new and the old things that God has placed in our lives.
While on this subject, let me also mention this. Every person needs to have two influences in their lives: 1.) People younger than themselves that have a fresh perspective in life, and 2.) People older than themselves that have a track record of past experiences from which to draw counsel. To ignore either of these groups of people is to limit your future potential. So, with this in mind, why not go volunteer to help out in your church nursery… and when you’re done there, go visit a nursing home.
