Retirement is not a word

Too Old or Too . . . . ?

Joshua was 80 years old when he started to lead Israel. Yet in Joshua 13:1, the Lord says this of him and to him, “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.” The Lord then went on to spell out precisely what land He was talking about – the land still to be taken.

To put this more into context, when Joshua was told or appointed to lead the Israelites, he was still a warrior – at 80 years old – so we can assume, more or less, that he was a very fit old soldier who still had all his marbles. He was an experienced commander of men and the Lord had said this to him well after he took the lead so he was probably in his 90’s! And very much the revered and respected leader he had always been.

So why is it that every organisation known to or invented by man insists there is a retirement age at which stage in a person’s life they have to give up their office and retire? They are effectively put out to grass. Do they suddenly lose their mind? NO. Do they suddenly lose all their energy? NO. Do they suddenly lose their comprehension of difficult scenarios? NO. Do they suddenly become incapable of activity? NO.

In fact, at the very moment when their experience and wisdom are probably at their peak, we shuffle them off to the fields to retire and to while away their latter years. Many cannot cope with this enforced inactivity and they consequently die an early death – from boredom or lack of intelligent contact. Mainly due to our suddenly treating them like children again, they just lose the will to live. Even in the majority of churches, this is so. Their ability to cope with responsibility is suddenly deemed to be nil – they are suddenly “too old” for the work. Those who do survive retirement are those who refuse to let go and keep themselves busy and interested and involved with life.

Well, I’ve got some really good news for you older people out there. There is NO retirement in God’s Kingdom work. If you are willing and able, He will still use you. Actually, the choice becomes yours as the Lord allows us to choose how much we will do; where we will go; who we will mix with and relate to. He asks us to do things knowing full well our deficiencies and prepared to use us anyway because He will equip us for whatever tasks He asks us to do for Him.

The only thing that stops us is something that has been with all of us since birth. It’s called confidence. We may think we are un-skilled or too shy or whatever reason we can think of – God says we are able. He enables us where we think we do not have the necessary skill set. He gives us the confidence to step out in faith for Him. Then He gives us the privilege of watching Him work by His Holy Spirit.

And do you know what?

It doesn’t matter how old we think we are, God is more willing to use us than we are willing to be used or even believe we can be used. In fact, our wisdom and experience is probably of greater value to God than half a dozen energetic twenty something’s with no experience at all.

I have found that, in God’s Kingdom, there is no age barrier. We are neither too young nor too old for Him to use us. He will use us just as we are – if only we will let Him do so. What a privilege we miss by ‘retiring’ when God doesn’t look at us that way at all.