Getting Older

Am I Getting Old?

It has been said that getting old is all in the mind, that we stay as young as we want to be. Of course, there is a truth in that, but it is also undeniable that the body ages and gets old too. Since I am, in many people’s view, old, then I have to say that many people used to retire and simply wait to die. There are several well known towns around Britain’s coast that are appropriately named “God’s waiting room”.

That doesn’t tie in with my experience, however. Since I retired, I have to say that I am so busy, I wonder when I ever found time to ‘work’. Oh, we’re not as hectic in our lifestyle as many younger folk who do work, but that is one of the joys of retirement – time is no longer the ruler of our universe in the way it used to be when the kids were small.

If I may quote my favourite scripture - Joshua 13:1 NKJV “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 Message version is even more blunt – “You've had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken.” This always strike me as amusing as, usually, older folk seem to bridle at being told that they are old – yet here is God telling Joshua just that. However, there is a very important caveat with which the Lord softens the blow. “You are old – BUT – there is still a lot of work to do.”

It is this realisation that colours our thinking nowadays. There is truly no retirement in God’s Kingdom, simply a slowing down. There really is so much still to do for Him that we can no more think about ‘retiring’ than we can consider ourselves of no further use to His Kingdom. And it’s not just ‘wise advice’ that we dispense nowadays – if ever we did that anyway. We are involved at an everyday working level.

There are people to meet and talk to; new Christians to encourage; older folk to help; and perhaps younger ones to advise. Life doesn’t stop at whatever age you think of as ‘retirement’. Rather, a whole new world opens up for us – a world for which life has prepared us for 60plus years.

That one word, “but” – you may be older and full of years but there are still countless and endless opportunities to serve the Lord and your fellow man as well.

Retirement?? It’s all in the mind. You’re never too old to serve God, your community, and your church.