I’ll admit I’m getting older. Joints creak, aches develop in ever new places, and print gets smaller and smaller in the books I read. But aging comes with advantages, like a slew of discounts and an occasional flash of hard-earned wisdom.

I speak with and hear about people who get lost on their old age. What purpose do we serve when work comes to an end and the kids grow up and move away? As if wrestling with this very question, an ancient writer offered this thought:

The righteous still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The purpose of old age is to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. Let younger generations know of your faith in the One who stands upright, pure, holy, and righteous. Point them to the hope of the world. Unashamedly spout off about Jesus.

Allow the wisdom of old age, earned in the fires of life, to trickle down. Young people today find themselves in a morass of unreal, inauthentic philosophies and beliefs. Many are searching for a solid place to stand. Help them find the Rock. Speak your faith, write your faith, pray your faith, stutter your faith—whatever works for you.

Declare the goodness of God until the last breath leaves your body.

Psalm 92:14&15

Photo by Kshitij Shukla