"Too many men are far too willing to offer their thoughts on subjects in which they have no real personal experience - especially experiences of God - and their 'wisdom' is not grounded in reality. It is theory, at best, more likely speculation, untested and unproven. At its worst, it amounts to stolen ideas. Such clutter fills the shelves of most bookstores. The Sage, on the other hand, knows of what he speaks, for he speaks from his experience, from a vast reservoir of self-discovery."
There is a big difference between knowledge and wisdom. It is possible, and common, to have knowledge without wisdom, and a Sage needs to be wise. Knowledge only goes so far, but wisdom allows you to think outside the box, and pick up the things that knowledge neglected. If a man has journeyed through the stages, then his wisdom will be seen, because he has lived a life that is full of experience and encounters with God.
"I would place the stage of the Sage as beginning in the waning years of the King, sometime between the ages of sixty and seventy. There comes a time when the King must yield the throne. This does not mean failure. It means it's time be become a Sage, and let another man be King. Too many Kings hold on to their thrones too long, and they literally fade away once they have lost them (which tells us they were drawing too much of their identity from their position). It will appear that at this stage a man's 'kingdom' may be shrinking - he retires from his career position, perhaps moves into a smaller home or apartment, lives on a fixed income. But his influence should actually increase. This is not the time to move to Ft. Lauderdale... For now the man is a mentor to the men who are shaping history."
I've had the opportunity to witness a transition like this. Almost thirty years ago a man moved to North East Ohio to plant a church. In that time the church grew to over 2,000 attenders at weekend services. He had done a great work for the Kingdom, but one thing that always amazed me about him was his humility and God dependence. At the end of every blog I put the phrase "To God alone be the Glory!" which is something I picked up from him.
A few years ago he began to talk about handing the leadership of the church over to a younger man. They searched, and when they found the right pastor, they had him come and over the next almost two years began a transition of leadership. In September 2012 the pastor fully handed leadership over. But the best part of the story is that he didn't leave the church, his role simply changed. He now focuses primarily on Leadership development and missions. He moved from King to Sage, and has continued to work for the Kingdom.
I am privileged to know this man. He knew that God had used him to do a great work, but didn't want to slow the work down, or bring it to a halt, by clinging to his position past his point of effectiveness, a mistake many have made. His validation didn't come from his status as pastor of a mega-church, but from his relationship with the Father. And when his time of leadership came to and end, he didn't retreat to a life of ease. Just as a King must hand a majority of the fighting over to younger Warriors, a Sage must hand the majority of leadership over to a younger King. But, at the same time, he needs to stick around. "A King needs a sage, and a good test of his humility is whether or not he has one and whether or not he listens to him."
Just because a man has become a King, it doesn't mean he knows it all. There are things he has yet to experience, and it is crucial that he draw upon the wisdom of those older and more experienced than he is. And this is why we need men to stick around and be Sages. We need all that you have to offer. But sadly stories like the one I mentioned are few and far between. Sadly, men like my pastor friend, are harder and harder to find. "knowing how hard it is to find a Sage, you might for the time being draw strength and inspiration from those we find in books and film."
Yoda, the Priests in The Count of Monte Cristo and Kingdom of Heaven, Gandalf, these are some that John points out. We see in these characters heroes behind the heroes. They offer profound wisdom and insight into life that guides those who follow them. And many of their sayings contain valuable lessons for us to learn. It's easy to create a Sage when you have the best writers in Hollywood with days with nothing else to do. But in this I think we see the creation of a Sage in a man. What else is it but a life focused on a journey of masculine initiation with God? When we get to this point in the journey, our lives have been written by an incredible author, and the Sage is full of wisdom gained over the years.
This brings us to an interesting question, are only the old able to be Sages? "Proverbs says, 'The glory of the young in their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old' (20:29 NLT)... Can a younger man be a Sage? Certainly, to some extent... a younger man can offer wisdom, advice, experience, counsel... And yet ... there are some things we just cannot know or understand until we have passed through the years that gray hair signifies."
I'm working on this blog, not knowing the age of my audience. I've preached messages to people old enough to be my great-grandparents. I've discipled teens and college students. I've taught classes to adults. Yes, this like every other stage, can have glimpses earlier in life. As we journey with God and grow closer to Him, we're going to have things to share from the insights we receive. There will be things we experience that we can in turn share with others to help them grow. But at the same time, there is a time to become the Sage. "Just as you don't want a young man to become a King too soon, you don't want him to present himself as a Sage too soon, either - whatever his credentials might be."
I've met some arrogant college students who have done just that, at one point I even was one of them. But as we journey with God, we learn humility, and in this gain wisdom. It takes a lifetime to become a Sage, let's not make the mistake of thinking we've mastered in 18, 25, or even 37 years. Let us continue to walk with God, learning as we go, and taking the stages as we are meant to. When we do, we have so much to offer.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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