Why retire all the way when you can serve Jesus all the way?
Why act like Donny or Debbie-downer when you can be a decent witness for Christ instead? Why talk like Bobby or Betsy buzz-kill when you can be a blessing instead?
I never want to turn into a grumpy, grippy, crotchety, bitter, negative-thinkin' and speaking old man even if a lot of negative news is happening around me. A large part of being a good witness is simply not speaking or acting like a jerk.
Are you kind, generous and respectful toward all your visitors? Are you a consistently good witness for Christ in public (by life, by word, and by deed) and in private? Do you live victorious over sin and still hate evil and sin?
Even though there are gobs of evils to be against and speak against out there today, are you more known for what you are against than what you are for? How often do pray and encourage other people? How often do you attend a gracious, balanced local church teaching through all the counsels of God? How often do you sing a grateful song of praise to Jesus (in private or in public)?
A crotchety old man decided to wash his sweatshirt. He threw it in the washing machine and yelled to his wife, “What setting do I use?” His wife asked, “What does it say on the shirt?” He yelled back, “Hook em horns. Go University of Texas!”
If this man sounds like someone you know, chances are he’s a crotchety old man! Crotchety old men stand in the middle of the kitchen and say “Where’s the butter?” They buy cans of broken cashews, and complain to the cashier about the wait and packaging they but do this.. because they’re cheaper. Ever listened to one of these guys?
If God blesses you with many years, thank Him. Just know it's His plan for you to grow older with godly wisdom and glorify Christ the whole way through.
God the Father loves you, still has a very good plan, and He wants you to spiritually mature with a close, obedient relationship.. with Christ leading you step by step. Yep, THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH! His sanctification process doesn't stop until we are there with Him. Seeing Him face to face.
Yes, He desires for you (for all individuals) to develop an obedient extra-tight (not uptight) walk with Jesus as Lord.. even today. That means simply praying biblically a whole lot, and hearing/reading the Bible gobs too.
I want to encourage, equip and challenge you balding, fat, skinny, feeble, and grayheaded men to go the distance with the Lord. Take your walker with if you need to.
I want to exhort you to live all-out for Jesus and to keep on soundly ministering His word to those people around you. Preach wordless and with word in a non-pushy or preachy (or churchy) sort of way. Go the distance by His unction to function. You have a world-changing purpose in Him.
Check out Psalm 71 today. It is the unique psalm of an older man with many trials (yes, challenges that will work for him as he focuses on the Lord). Sure it's the lost people who have the many problems that work against them as they seek what the world and their flesh demands.
This righteous man living in the word is obviously a joyful man who by the help of the Holy Spirit is able to turn away from worldly distractions and put his focus on the Lord in the midst of all the trials that God has allowed for his blessing and growth.
Think about the word. Think about this too. There is something which everybody wants and yet almost everyone fears: growing old. Due to the fall of Adam, old age does have many frightening aspects these days: an aging body which is more susceptible to illness; declining strength; feelings of uselessness (especially alone perhaps, after retirement); the loss of peers, coworkers, other friends and loved ones through death; the reality of one’s own death drawing nearer; loneliness is tough on any person (many older women start to hallucinate due to loneliness). There are feelings of alienation from one’s own children and grandchildren, who normally are busy with school, work, other interests and business pursuits; and, very often, financial concerns too due to dwindling income or lack of wise planning.
The Biblical Beauty of Aging Even When Your Outward Person Is No Longer Hansome: You Can Grow Strong In The Word And Older In God’s Grace
Aging is both a gift and a challenge. For those who walk close with God, it is not merely the slow march of time onward but the divine exciting journey of growing ever closer to Him.. in His will.
As Psalm 71 reveals, an aging man, likely David, faced trials, frailty, temptations and enemies.. yet he also found JOY, strength, and purpose in his vertical relationship while trusting in the Lord.
His life is a vivid picture for us of what God desires for all His children as they follow Him and age: Yes, for each of us to deepen the knowledge of Him biblically, to develop unwavering faith, and to glorify Him through every season of life.
The Truth About Aging
Modern culture often dismisses old age as merely a burden and bummer, a stage marked by loneliness, physical decline, joint pains, and societal disregard. But Scripture paints a radically different picture -- a good snapshot.
Read the word. Proverbs 16:31 proclaims, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life."
Some righteous men physically die early it would seem, and we don't understand why. They are blessed to be with Him, but aging here in the Lord is a blessing from Him!
God esteems the elderly, calling them/us to become strong pillars of faith and wisdom. Yet, the physical challenges are real: declining health, loss of loved ones, financial concerns, and feelings of alienation. Even so, for those who walk with Christ, adequate grace is there. Abundant life is still there for us. For believers, aging becomes an opportunity to lean harder (with soft hearts) into His grace, finding greater purpose, and leaving a lasting legacy that speaks loud.
Start Preparing Now, Know And Grow Today
What you are in old age reflects your small and large decisions thus far. It is the culmination of what you’ve built in your younger years on. The flawed psalmist could face his trials because he had walked closely with God for decades. This truth is sobering: if you are neglecting your relationship with God (through God the Son, Christ) now, you will lack the inner spiritual resources needed to navigate old age with Christ's joy and and His peace. However, if you are cultivating faith, humility, and gratitude today (how are you adding to your faith), you will reap those virtues when the years weigh heavier.
Lessons from Psalm 71
Three spiritual principles shine brightly in Psalm 71, providing a blueprint for aging gracefully in God’s presence:
Develop a Deep Firsthand Knowledge of God
Know Him in the word and experientially. The psalmist’s life was steeped in the Word and in the holy character of God. He declared, “You have taught me from my youth” (Psalm 71:17).
Knowing God personally as a protector, as a rock, as a refuge, and righteous Savior (Psalm 71:1-3) is good. It was not theoretical; it was personal and proven through many years of faithfulness. Please begin now to meditate on His stable promises and on His unchanging character. The more you know walk with, pray candidly and serve the Lord, the more His strength will sustain you in trials and times of weakness.
Cultivate a Life of Praise
Despite his troubles, the psalmist’s lips overflowed with praise: “My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long” (Psalm 71:8).
PNo matter the weird circumstances you are in find something to thank and praise God for. Yes, in them.. the circumstances.. not for the bad things per see. Look away from the circumstances, not in an irresponsible way, but pause and raise your gaze. Lift your head upwards, shift your focus from your problems to God and His limitless power. Let looking at Him give you peace inside cultivate more gratitude. This is energize your biblical faith, and it will encourage others. As you age, make praise the melody of your spirit and heart -- trusting that God’s faithfulness endures from youth to gray hairs (Psalm 71:18).
Pass On Your Faith While You Can
The psalmist’s desire was clear: “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation” (Psalm 71:18).
Aging Christians are called to become spiritual reps.. mentors even, pouring wisdom into others who ask. We are to clearly give testimony, and love our families ..right, our churches..right, and our communities ..right as well. Your experiences, both triumphs, failures and trials, can become tools for God’s glory.
He can use you even when you are honest about your failures and what He showed you. Use all them wisely to point others to Jesus the Savior. Hey, I didn't do my homework hard enough.. thorough enough.. in the past and when I returned from pastoring in Augsburg Germany I actually accepted an offer to pastor in a horrible local church. Some of the lead pastors over me there I found out, didn't even hold the the Essentials. I held to Jesus and our Cardinal Beliefs and my wife Liney and I got the left foot of fellowship. It hurt Liney and my three boys because they had some real friends there who were real Christians. My bad!
The Eternal Perspective
Aging inevitably reminds us of our mortality. But for Christians, this realization is not a cause for despair but a call to hope and to press in more.. to get closer to God. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Each wrinkle and gray hair testifies to God’s sustaining grace and the promise of a glorified new body in His eternal presence. Today would be a good day for the Rapture huh.
Embracing Aging in Christ
Old age is not something to fear but to embrace with faith, love and JOY! It is the culmination of a life lived in obedience step by step, a chance to repent when we need to and it becomes a chance to shine out brightly for Christ (to reflect His light), and an opportunity to deepen your walk with Him.
In a culture gone sideways with violence, theft and other crimes.. one that devalues the elderly, the citizens, the people of God in churches.. we must remember that aging is a divine appointment to glorify the Lord without watering down the word.. without spiritual compromise.
Whether you are young or old, now is the time to prepare your heart well, to nurture and mature in your faith, and to walk obediently with Christ so that you may echo the psalmist’s words:
"But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more" (Psalm 71:14).
Grow old with strong grace from above! God help us stay loyal to You, to Your Book, to our wives, to our kids, to your people.
Help us to wisely grow older.. not foolishly in vain. Yes, help us grow totally anchored in Your unchanging promises that are 100% sure.
Help our roots go down deep in your love, in your word, in your purposes.
We want to give thanks daily, looking for stuff to thank Youy for.
Father God, all day long help us to pray for others we meet. Help us to minister to the Lord Jesus in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, in simple praise and worship. Help us to also minister to those around us all the way home to You! Help us to be practical and to live spiritual. Help us to grow old not withering.. living to glorify Jesus in every stage of life.
God make each of us a powerful rep, a vivid depiction of a life rooted deeply in the word—a life that has weathered the storms of suffering and has emerged more steadfast in your will.
Thanks for helping us with trust instead of doubt, with praise instead of gripping, and with hope instead of with dispair.
Make me.. make my friends too.. each a sublime portrait of someone who not only knows about God but who knows Him intimately, personally, and experientially! Let’s bring Your zoe life to even more dead people needing life:
The psalmist doesn’t just recount facts about God; he breathes them out with love. He talks of God’s mighty deeds with the awe of someone who has seen them unfold in his own walk and life (71:16). He proclaims God’s strength and power not as some abstract religious concepts but as forces that carried him through deep dark valleys of despair (71:18). He marvels at God’s greatness, asking, “O God, who is like You?” (71:19), a rhetorical question that echoes his wonder and gratitude.
Yep, the psalmist is no stranger to hurt, bewilderment and suffering. He acknowledges that it was God who allowed him to face deep trials, yet it was also God who delivered him and restored his soul (71:20).
Hey, this isn’t blind optimism found in the text; it’s hard-earned faith displayed.. that was forged in the crucible of life’s most poignant and harshest realities.
The Psalmist felt them.. the poignant fluid emotions that are so deeply touching. They evoke such a complex mix of positive and negative feelings, often including tragic sadness, longing, and appreciation for something that has been passing or lost, creating a bittersweet and sometimes melancholic experience. Do you know these emotions too?
Even in the darkest moments, he found comfort in God’s presence. He found the Lord by His Spirit to be a solace that steadied his wackelig heart (71:21. Wackelig von Deutsch translates to "wobbly" or "shaky" in English).
His gratitude overflows as he declares that God has redeemed his soul, a profound acknowledgment of deliverance not just from physical troubles and enemies, but from the weight of his own sin and what felt like separation from his beloved Creator (71:23). He'd been used to close fellowship.
The psalmist’s declaration, “My mouth is filled with Your praise” (71:8, 22–24), isn’t just poetic—it’s the natural outpouring of passion, of a life so Spirit-saturated with the reality of God’s goodness that beautiful praise becomes as involuntary as breathing. This man knew his God, what He was like, not in a mere distant, theoretical sense but as a close companion who has proven Himself faithful time and again.
The Practical Implications: Do You Know God Like This Too?
This kind of faith (for you) and relationship with God starts with Him, but it doesn’t materialize in a crisis out of thin air minus you.. because you'll indeed have a response to His drawing and wooing.
Recieve the grace of real repentance inside, then espress it. Recieve real saving faith and call out to the Jesus of the Bible!
You must be born again and Jesus said.. You must be born again. It happens in a moment.
Know Jesus and grow! No Jesus means no spiritual growth.
Sure this faith in you can grow and you can grow too. The growth will continue, result of years spent walking in His Word, learning who He is, and wisely applying His truths to daily life.
The psalmist didn’t approach God with a vague, desperate plea to an unknown deity in his hour of need. Instead, he got right with God via confession. He then leaned on this relationship that had been cultivated earlier in his lifetime.
This raises a piercing question for each of us: Do we depend upon and know God this way? The Psalmist was a different man.
Are we intentionally building a foundation of faith that will later sustain us when life’s inevitable trials come? Some of these we seem to cause for ourselves. Bad decisins have consequences.
Regeneration and spiritual growth can start for you today. Even now.
Spiritual growth can happen this week. Yes, in the everyday moments of life, by spending time in Scripture and praying from the heart.. asking, “What does this teach me about You God.. what am I to know and do with this?”
By applying the truths and principles of God's Bible to our lives, we begin to know Him well, not just intellectually, but experientially. Mean religious fools of Christ's day and of our day too.. have head-knowledge and hard lost hearts too.
Trust, Praise, and Hope: Godly Habits That Sustain The Honest Seeker
The psalmist’s life was marked by godly habits: trust (71:3), praise (71:6), and hope (71:14). We are not to lean fickle, fleeting feelings. The Psalmist had deeply ingrained practices in his seeking of God, cultivated through deliberate efforts of pressing in, and of good edifying repetition. Like grooves worn into a well-trodden path, these habits shaped his responses to life’s challenges.. he sought, and sought the Lord with a whole heart.
The Habit of Trust
Trusting God is not our default setting naturally; it must be intentionally developed after our getting right (or our own rebirth). The psalmist’s trust wasn’t naïve; it was informed.. “struggling but unstaggering” faith (as Spurgeon put it). He trusted because he knew God, and he really knew God because he had walked with Him through previous trails, tests, and storms. Trust grows when we reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past and choose to believe He will be faithful again.
The Bible says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 nkjv
The Make it a Habit of Life -- Praising Jesus Through Everything
Praise doesn’t come naturally when life is hard, but the psalmist shows us that it’s possible in all circumstances—it is even essential for growth. Praise flows from a heart of trust. When we know and trust God, we can praise Him even in the midst of trials because we are confident in His goodness and perfect sovereignty.
The Habit of Hope
Biblical hope is not wishful upbeat PMA thinking; it’s a confident expectation rooted in God’s unchanging Holy character. The psalmist’s hope was built on the sure promises of God, not on the instability of worldly shifting sands.. I mean the circumstances of life. This hope fueled his spiritual resilience and He gave all the credit to God.. it enabled him to face the future with peace and confidence.
Choose A Life of Fruitful Ministry Mr, Ms or Mrs Aging One, Not a Life of Some Self-Centered Narrsist
Even in old age, the psalmist was driven by a purpose greater than himself. He didn’t view his later years as a time for selfish indulgence or selfish withdrawal but as an opportunity to testify to the next generation about God’s greatness (71:18). His life was a testament to a counter-cultural message.
Listen we are never called to retire from serving God. We can step away from a career in the world but refire in Christ instead of retire completely. Refills are free of charge. Every season of life, including retirement, is an opportunity to glorify Him and go to work in investing in others.
This is biblical and challenges us to rethink our priorities if we let God work. Are we using our time, energy, and resources for God’s Kingdom, or are we consumed with seeking pleasure, personal comfort and convenience? The psalmist’s vision for old age wasn’t about taking it endlessly easy; it was about finishing well, with a heart still aflame for God and God’s purposes.
"But she who lives for pleasure is dead even while she is still alive." 1 Timothy 5:6
The Fire Extinguisher: A Practical Illustration
An unused fire extinguisher is okay if there is never a destructive fire.
The importance of knowing and applying what we have in Christ is very important because we might come across a destorying type of fire one day. Rescuring peole is imperative. God has given us all the resources we need in Him, but if we don’t know how to access or use them, they won’t benefit us in times of crisis. Just as the psalmist knew God’s character and promises, we must equip ourselves with a deep understanding of who God is and how He works so that we can lay hold of His resources when life’s fires burn and threaten to overwhelm us.
A Good Reflection For Us
The psalmist’s life that we seen in the Bible.. is an inspiring example of what it means to walk closely with God, in cultivating trust, with praise, and hope, and the dedicating of oneself to God's world-wide purposes.
It challenges us to examine our own lives and ask: Are we developing the kind of relationship with God that will sustain us through trials and make us good witnesses for others?
Are we cultivating habits that reflect His light and holy character? And are we living with a purpose that extends beyond ourselves, proclaiming His greatness to the next generation.. in cities, towns and nations? Let this be our aim in Jesus, so that like the psalmist, we can say with unwavering confidence, “O God, who is like You?” I am not, but want to be. Please use me anyways.
I don't know about you, but I want to do something to serve God with the few years I have left. I want to live a righteous life of love wisely.. daily. I want to stay in touch vertically with the Father through the Son, so I can help others horizontally to get in touch with God vertically.
It's through the Father's sinless Son who died on the Cross for us all (cuz we've all sinned before), and then He rose again from the dead with lots of eyewitnesses.
I want to pause and have coffee or tea with others, and segway on into sharing my testimony (my own story of faith) how I came to know Jesus in a personal sort of way (He's the only way in). I want to keep teaching through all the Bible-books at my church. All truth is His truth and I want to teach truth in agape love.. His way. Am I there yet, am I good at this yet like Jesus was and is? No, but He's helping me.
Follow the Good Examples of Older Men and Women Making an Impact for Christ
You and I can learn what not to be watching those who are bad examples, but let's learn from the good examples too..of what to be like.
I thank the Lord for older mentors at my church and in my life. So many of them stay fresh and green until death. There are lots of gray-headed servants of the Lord at our weekly Bible Study. They are still red-hot-passionate (all in and all on-fire) about Jesus Christ and practically serving Him. They are still humble and teachable from God’s Word and out sharing what they biblically know with others around them. I love hanging out with them because they each are a blessing to so many. Not all who go to church are saved yet. Not all are humble and a blessing in every church. We need to pray for an dwin them to Christ as well. Some need to be admonished, reproved or rebuked until they get it. Let no one get you out of a healthy local church, or out of fellowship with the Lord and His people.
You Are Never Too Old To Have A Good Impact For Christ Here
Women and men who are (no-spiritual-compromise) Jesus-followers are never too old to have an impact on their friends—yes, whether younger or older.
The wisdom of God’s Word and His Spirit living inside of us can give us the gifting and or ability to remain faithful to Him, to stay fresh and green and fruitful for Him. The choice is up to you and me.
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Live close. Live Pure. Live Honest, .. inspiring others to remain Faithful, Fruitful, and Impactful for the Living Word of God at any Stage of life.
Our earthly age now is no barrier to spiritual vibrancy or spiritual growth. It is never to be that way -- please think biblically. It's no blockage to the ability of God the Father positively influencing others for the sake of Jesus and His Kingdom! He works in us.. through each of us believers.. both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
In agreement with the Holy Spirit (like we've seen with Anna's witness working through her story) to the encouragement of staying "fresh and green" as described in Psalm 71 or 92, let your own message resonate deeply in hearts.. with the eternal truth that God is not finished with any of us believers until He calls us home.
The call to discipleship and service does not diminish with age; it only grows richer with wisdom and experience. Your exhortation to stay attuned to the needs of others, engage deeply in God's Word, and continuously share the fresh work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is both timely and timeless.
Let's all be highlighting the examples of godly mentors (like from church history and in the Bible).
Yes, of older believers now even who continue to walk faithfully, consistently modeling a life of steadfast devotion and passion for Christ (minus all the weird religiosity). Is your commitment to Christ higher than to your church or denomination? Let it be, no time for compromise along the way.
My encouragement for you is to to "stay fresh and green" with roots going down deep in God's word. I want to challenge me and everyone of us to stay in touch often.. to remain steadfast, regardless of the season of life, and to use every moment as an opportunity to glorify God and make an eternal impact. Witnessing by life and word is for today too!
I want to enjoy Him, his abundant life and wisely adorn the doctrine of God while here..
"..not stealing [things, regardless of value], but proving themselves trustworthy, so that in every respect they will adorn and do credit to the teaching of God our Savior. For the [remarkable, undeserved] grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age," Titus 2:10-12 amp
If you choose to retire, slow down, or before you expire.. simply refire.. believer, I want to pray for you in spreading the Gospel. I want to see you blessed and fruitful!
May we believers.. by God's powerful grace ..embrace this specific call on us (mine will be different than your so let's not foolishly judge), and be leaning into the abundant strength and grace of God to go bear fruit for His glory ..until our very last breath. My last breath hear will be my first breath taken in heaven so to speak. And when I arrive, I want to see people I witnessed to.
As long as I am able, I want to still be sharing my faith, gently discipling men and women, and teaching the Bible even though I too will get more grey hair and some wrinkles. I want to still be following Jesus as His disciple and living for Him as a disciple-maker for the rest of my life. Do you? Nothing beats knowing the Lord. God help us walk right with you by your Spirit! We want to reflect your bright and pure light wherever we go. Doing my best, I commit the rest (to Him who delights to work through any of us).
Come as you are, don't stay as you are. Come back as you are with candor. Need some prayer, if I can ..as I sift through all the incoming junk mail and spam.. I will be glad to pray for you. Hey, will you choose to stay fresh and green like a palm tree that can sway in the winds through any storm? Will you decide to know and live for Jesus as you are graciously growing old so that your life will still make an impact on others for Christ? In Him, you've got this!
