Never too Old

Think Yourself Too Old to Serve?

Arthur Burt used to serve with Smith Wigglesworth over 60 years ago now. He was given a prophecy that he would not see death until he had seen the start of the last, end-time revival. At present, Arthur is a 99 yr old evangelist, and this year, as far as I know and as is his usual practice of late, he flew to America and held his ‘usual’ three or four meetings. Not bad for an old ‘un?

You and I may be somewhat lesser mortals than Mr. Burt, but we are nevertheless still of use to the Kingdom of God. Yet we are the older generation. We are called the “Grey Brigade” or some such name. My grandson, Sam, once called me a “Grumpy old dinosaur”, much to the amusement of my son who had carefully trained him to speak these words. Yet to Sam and all the little children of his age group, we are so very old. Of course, therein lies the great attraction between the very young and the very old. Somehow, the new generation understands that we the older generation have so much to offer in knowledge, wisdom, oh yes, and sweeties of course.

Yet are we too late to meet &/or serve Jesus? The World throws away all our experience at 60-65. We officially retire and get dumped in the great wheelchair in the sky known as “God’s Waiting Room”. However, I’ve got some great news for all of us older folk – there is no retirement in God’s Kingdom and there is no ‘sell by date’ after which we cannot meet nor serve Him. Oh Hallelujah – thank God for that. I started doing this ministry for Jesus just over four years ago when I was 64. We have an octogenarian couple in our church who have just come to the Lord and are being baptised by full immersion this coming week. It is Never too late to meet Jesus.

Who can we serve? I suppose it is stating the obvious to say that we can all serve Jesus and the people around us. Yet How can we possibly serve? Any way we are able to do so is the short answer. Let me tell you that there was a time when I dreaded retirement. To me, there was a stigma associated with being old. I thought that the scrap heap beckoned. All I saw was Age Concern, Help the Aged, Saga for the over 55’s, and other “retired people’s organisations”. I took the dreaded step with some trepidation. That is when God started to show me about the work I could do for Him and His Kingdom. Nowadays I think – whenever did I ever find time to work?

Life for us now is what we want to make of it. We can make it with God or without God. We have so many choices in fact that we need all the wisdom that supposedly comes with age in order to make any choice at all. Of course, age brings with it other considerations such as mobility and general health yet it also brings that wonderful commodity we call time. We no longer have to rush around in order to do everything. We can now take our time, and choose those services which we can comfortably render to others – without breaking either a leg or the bank.

All I know is that God looks at your heart. He doesn’t consider your abilities or your bank balance; He doesn’t look at your training nor experience, He looks at your heart. He opens doors for you, He encourages you through the door. He gives you the words to say or the things to do, and He uses you – right where you are and with all of your own perceived inabilities. He uses the blind to mentor the young. He uses the deaf to cook a meal. He uses those with communications difficulties to simply bring a cup of tea to one who cannot do it for themselves.

We ALL have something God can use for His Kingdom – no matter how small or apparently insignificant. It is important to God and to the person you are somehow serving. We all still have value and worth in Gods eyes and I, for one, will never decry that nor ignore it.

Retirement with or without God? I know which I prefer.