!Growing Old GRACEfully
Introduction
The Beggings of a Young Parent
As the parent of a toddler and a teenager, I find few things more encouraging or discouraging than the example of older generation Christians. Some provide tremendous illustrations of how grace born through adversity can create within a person a sweet, sweet nature. Others seem to be walking examples of how life’s experiences can turn one sour.
Years ago, former First Lady, Hillary Clinton, wrote a book entitled, "It Takes A Village." Although I have sharp disagreements with her on most issues, including this one, within the title of this book she does point toward an important idea. Social success does not take a politically correct village, but it does take a spiritually correct church.
When the Lord places His children into the fellowship of believers, He intends for that family to be responsible for each other. Older brothers and sisters in Christ should think of themselves as spiritual grandparents to every child within their congregation. Obviously, they do not have the same impact upon the children as do their parents. But, as one of those young parents, I can say with certainty, that senior saints who live in the grace of God bring a welcomed and greatly needed impact into our family circle.
We often think of the future of the church as being bound up in the hearts of the young. However, if the future is bound up in the hearts of the young, then the future is also wound up in the hands of the old. Like an old-fashioned top that spins across the floor, it is the initial winding of the string that gives it power and longevity. The top will fly with energy and it will spin with grace, but only if it is first wound properly.
In Psalms 127:3-5, the Holy Spirit inspired these words, "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."
In this wonderful passage, children are compared to arrows that are shot toward a place the archer may never visit himself. But, even though the archer is left behind when the arrow is launched, the distance the arrow travels, the place the arrow lands and ultimately the impact the arrow will have upon arrival are all pre-determined by the skill of the archer.
Parents are here challenged to aim their children in the right direction. We are called upon to prepare our children for a world which we may never visit ourselves. We are asked to impact the future by caring for the present.
This awesome task can only be successful if the archer has had a good teacher. The senior saint is commanded to be that teacher. (Titus 2:1-5) The future of the Lord’s church is wound up in the hands of the older generation. Please help us launch our arrows successfully.
The material which follows is, in short, the humble beggings of a young parent. I need to see the positive impact of God’s grace on the senior years. My children need to see the uplifting example of God’s grace carrying senior saints across the finish line of life. For the sake of the Lord’s church, please show us how to grow old GRACEfully.
About the book from which this material was taken:
An arrogant, young preacher once said, “For the church to grow, some of her older members have to die!”
This important book, by Sonny Childs, confronts that dishonorable idea and challenges the older generation to reclaim their position of honor within the Lord’s church. If ever there was a generation that should know the grace of God and should demonstrate the “freedom” and “confidence” that it provides (Ephesians 3:12), that generation should be the senior saints of today.
As numbers dwindle and church doors close, one is forced to ask how well are we managing the business of the Lord. Has the church thrived on our watch? Has progressive thought (I Corinthians 9:19-23) and freedom in Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:1) been the earmark of our generation? For the church to thrive, senior saints must be challenged to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) “Growing Old GRACEfully” is that challenge!
For more information or to order this book, please go to the publications page of this site.