Midweek Encouragement - "How Thorough Are You?”

"How Thorough Are You?”

       Like taxes, growing old is something we’re all going to face . . . if you’re not facing it now. I can’t tell you when growing UP stops and growing OLD begins. Unfortunately, some people grow old without growing up. Today I’d like to mention some signs along the way that suggest you’ve stopped growing up and are now growing old.

          Physically, your aging body starts to put on the brakes. Have you noticed that you’re huffing and puffing more than you’re ripping and zipping? Maybe you’d rather sit than stand . . . to watch more than do.  Mentally, your aging brain longs for some relief. Maybe you can’t remember like you used to or respond as quickly as you’d like to. You start thinking more about yesterday and less about today or tomorrow.  Emotionally, you begin to experience strange fears and feelings you once said you’d never feel.

Are you . . .

. . . more negative, critical, and ornery at times?

. . . more reluctant to let those who are younger bear more responsibility?

. . . feeling unwanted or “in the way”?

. . . feeling guilty over past mistakes and wrong decisions?

. . . feeling forgotten, unloved, lonely, or passed by?

. . . resisting the need to adjust and adapt?

         Thinking like that can sentence you to a prison cell of self-pity, doubt, depression, uselessness, and grief.

         Hear me, my friend, when I say that in God’s eyes older people are among His choicest possessions!  You’re read about them . . . Abraham was much more effective as he grew old and mellow. Moses didn’t reach any measure of success until he turned eighty. Caleb was eighty-five when he began to enjoy God’s best. And God really used Paul in his last days to write encouraging words in the letters we read today.

         We all know that growing old has its difficulties, but let’s not miss the opportunities God gives us to enjoy the life He gives us NOW! God has decided to let you live this long. Your old age is not a mistake, an oversight on His part, nor an afterthought. Isn’t it about time you cooled your tongue, softened your smile, and started to enjoy the breath that’s still in your lungs? God put that breath there, my friend. Use it, as long as you have it, to give HIM praise!

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this email with anyone you choose. And if for some reason you'd like to stop receiving PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send me an email (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.