I'm going to touch on a subject that is important to approximately 1.1 Billion people worldwide who are over the age of 60. This is the number of aging Christians who are entering what should be our "golden years". In America, approximately 56 million people are over 60 years of age, and 76% of them (approximately 42.5 million) identify as Christian. [NOTE: Take these internet statistics with a grain of salt, but they will suffice for our conversation.]
Not only are we, who are in that age group, seeing increasing persecution due to our faith, but also are experiencing increasing bias towards us because of our age. That's called Ageism, and it can be noted that we are targeted by the internet and mass media. They push a social agenda that is obsessed with youth. They promote negative feedback that associates aging with decline and loss, instead of wisdom and resilience. I, personally, experienced it just the other day when trying to explain a banking situation to a young woman who was probably a late Millennial. Her attitude, tone of voice, and dismissive manner displayed her thoughts that I couldn't possibly understand the complicated world of banking management that she occupied. The real problem was that she didn't bother to listen to me, and as she talked over me, she missed out on the essential facts of my problem.
But her attitude is one that is adopted by many of her generation, and those who are younger. They are the "internet generation"; those who have been raised with technology as a constant in their lives. Anyone older than that is considered incapable of navigating modern life, and therefore nonessential and expendable according to their social prejudice. In contrast, Native Americans and Middle Eastern cultures have a more favorable view of their elderly. But don't be discouraged! There's another who values those of us who identify as both mature and Christian. It is our Savior, Jesus Christ, and I am going to share what He says about our worthiness, our usefulness, our effectiveness, and our significance in the world as we grow ever closer to His return.
First, let me explain that the encouragement you're about to read, is largely the teaching of a prominent Christian apologist, whom I will reveal at the end of this article. I want you to concentrate on the words of wisdom from Scripture that he shared, which lit my spirit on fire and made it clear that I (along with everyone over the age of 60) are very important to bringing His Kingdom into this Age and to welcome His return. Please take the time to read his inspiring words ...
"For too long, the world has told us a lie about what it means to grow old. It whispers that aging means weakness. That these final years of life are meant for fading, for stepping back, for silence. But today, hear this shocking truth from the lips of our Savior... Your final years are not years of decline. They are years of Divine design! The world may say you are slowing down. but Jesus says you are stepping into your greatest season of eternal purpose! Do not believe for one second that your time is finished. Do not believe that your story is ending. For the Lord Himself declared, 'The last shall be first and the first, last' (Matthew 20:16). That is not just a statement about Heaven's order. It is a reminder that the season others call your last may actually be your most powerful, your most fruitful, your most glorious!
Think about it! Abraham was 75 when he received the Promise. Moses was 80 when the burning bush lit up his destiny. Caleb was 85 when he declared, 'I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out.' Heaven's calendar does not measure years the way the world does. In God's economy, your latter days are not your weaker. They are weightier. They carry the fullness of wisdom, the richness of testimony, and the urgency of eternity. Hear the Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:16 ... ' Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.' Yes, our strength may falter. But the Spirit within you grows younger, stronger, more vibrant, more alive in Christ as the years go by.
Hear this: Our final years are not a curse! They are a calling. They are not an end. They are a new beginning of deeper intimacy with the One who has carried us every step of the way. We have carried burdens, faced trials, and walked valleys that the younger generations have yet to experience. We have tasted the bitterness of life and the sweetness of God's deliverance. These years have forged in us a faith that is unshakeable. Can you see it? These are the years when our voices carry the most weight. Our prayers move the heaviest mountains. And our testimonies pierce the hardest hearts.
And here's the real truth you need to grasp: Your life on this earth may be approaching sunset, but in Heaven, the sun is only beginning to rise. So, do not call these years, your final years. Call them your crowning years. Do not call them your fading years. Call them your fruitful years. These are the days when God is shaping your legacy, when the seeds you have planted in faith begin to blossom, and your example becomes a torch for those walking behind you.
Do not believe the lies of the Enemy who wants you to think that your best days are gone; that you are finished; that there's nothing left for you to do. Here's the truth Jesus wants you to know: ' Your journey is not winding down. It is pressing upward.' Heaven counts these your richest years! The world may look at you and see age, but heaven looks at you and sees a soldier of Christ preparing for glory! Lift up your head in Christ! Do not walk in despair, but in expectation. For these years are not the fading echoes of yesterday, but the trumpet sound of eternity drawing near. Your last years are not your weakest years. They are your most victorious years in Christ.
Too often the world paints a picture of old age as a time of loss ... loss of strength, loss of relevance, loss of usefulness. But Heaven tells a very different story. God's Word proclaims, "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. They will grow like a cedar o Lebanon. They will bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, The Lord is upright. He is my Rock and there is no wickedness in Him" (Psalm 92:12-15). Old age in the eyes of God is not decline! It is abundance. It is the season when your roots run deep. It is when your faith is proven, and when your life declares His righteousness with a strength that youth cannot yet understand.
These years of your life are a gift designed to display what only decades of walking with God can produce. Wisdom that shines like light, patience that mirrors Christ, and faith that can move mountains. Do not forget the promise written in Isaiah: "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain and I will rescue you" (Isaiah 46:4). You see, God does not step away as you grow older. He steps closer. He does not leave you to stumble. He carries you. His design is not abandonment, but sustaining. His design is not weakness, but (His) strength made perfect (in you).
So, how does God want you live in these years? The answer is clear. He calls you to live as bearers of fruit; as carriers of hope, as voices of Truth to a generation that desperately needs wisdom. You are not meant to fade into silence, but to rise as elders of faith who proclaim, "The Lord is upright. He is my rock!" Every wrinkle on your face is not a sign of loss [of youth], but a mark of testimony. Every gray hair is not a symbol of fading but a crown of honor. As Proverbs say, "Gray hair is a crown of splendor. It is attained in the way of righteousness."
There is much more that this Christian leader had to say, and I will leave you with a link to listen to the entirety of his faithful encouragement. So, I join him in witnessing that we do not need to despise these years when the wrinkles appear, and our hair turns gray. We do not need to mourn them, for they are not empty but filled with divine purpose. And they are filled with opportunity. These years are our chance to mentor, to guide, to intercede, to pour out our wisdom and faith, to share our treasures of heaven that we have kept for a time such as this.
The younger generations may run faster than we can, but they lack the depth of faith that we carry. Know that these later years are rich with purpose and usefulness for the Kingdom of God. Rise up now! Shake off despair! We are not to retreat, but advance for the cause of the Kingdom. This is our moment to shine brighter, love deeper, serve bolder, and to live with urgency. Our King is coming!! Our reward is waiting! Our call to serve is clear and needed! So, let us join together and Go Forth for the glory of God and the hope of eternity. That's why we are here! Amen.
Now, I want to reveal the author of this inspirational piece of writing. Unlike those of us 60 and over, he is actually young and has inspired both young and old alike with his faithfulness. The author is Charlie Kirk, who I'm sure expected to embrace his own words when he entered into his later years. But I thank the Lord for speaking to his heart to pen what so many of us need to hear today. Thank You, Lord! And thank you, Charlie! We older Christians needed to hear this. You can access the full video here.
Matthew 25:21 His Master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; Come, share in the joy of your Master."
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