"The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness." - Proverbs 16:31
I have often told Martie that I would never get on a tour bus with the "seniors" to go on a trip to Branson, Missouri. What has this got to do with anything? Well ...... I have noticed a not so subtle movement in the Evangelical churches to relegate people over the age of 55 to the "not of much spiritual use anymore" seats in the church. For some reason the work of the church, in their view, is best left to younger people.
Personally, I have told people that I will burn out and not rust out in this mortal life of mine as I seek to fulfill God's purpose in my life. So long as I can speak intelligible sentences and remember that I forget things from time to time, then I still have value and so do the untold thousands of others who have a mature faith and love for God. I looked at the age distribution of the church we attend. 80% of the attenders are under the age of 50. That means that Martie and I have been married longer than 80% of the church has been alive. What a thought!
Moving the older saints off the bench and into the stands is akin to saying that we should disregard the Word of God because it was written so long ago and is no longer relevant. Should I do that, I would be pronounced a heretic. After all, every Christian knows that ...
"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." - Isaiah 40:8
So what is the problem. Well, the problem is that the "older" Christians have bought into the lie that they are no longer relevant and are content with being given a senior pastor and charged to stay out of the way when it comes to discipleship and church mainstream activities. Even as I type this, I am certain that some reading this can point to exceptions. Of course, you can! There are always exceptions. But by and large, people over 55 have little influence in the spiritual lives of younger Christians. And, unfortunately, by yielding to it those older Christians are complicit in enabling the trend.
These are some verses from the Bible that stands forever.
"Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old" - Job 12:12
"I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age." - Job 32:7
"There were some older men who had helped Solomon make decisions when he was alive. So King Rehoboam asked these men what he should do. He said, “How do you think I should answer the people?" - 1 Kings 12:6
Oh, by the way, he ignored their advice and suffered the consequence - a divided kingdom!
"The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old." - Proverbs 20:2
"So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh." - Exodus 7:6-9
"Rise in the presence of the aged and honor the elderly face-to-face." -Leviticus 19:32
"That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-17
“You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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