Roller coasters are fun for many people. I used to enjoy them when I was a teenager and perhaps in my early twenties. The last time I rode a roller coaster I was jerked around so much I was sore for days. I never rode a roller coaster again.
There are several things in my life I have put aside because of the pain involved, the time involved, or honestly, the value I see in them now that I am older. We change as we get older. Hopefully, we have gotten wiser and closer to our Lord. But it doesn’t always happen that way.
I see so many older people who do not seem any wiser than they were when they were young. They have aged, and they have the gray hair, but they still do the same stupid things they did when they were young. Many older people still only care about themselves. It makes it difficult to care for them in their old age.
I knew someone that was very selfish and nothing you did for him was good enough. He could not be pleased. His son tried to make him happy, and it was of no use. The son ended up having to place him in someone else’s care to save his own family. How sad. The Dad did not have a physical limitation, nor was his mental capacity diminished. I think we all know that someone who has dementia or another disease has a reason for his change. That is understandable, but this man was just a mean, grouchy old man. His son was a Christian man and was willing to take care of him, but he could not. The father was too much of a negative force in his son’s home.
I would like to think that it is only lost people who behave this way, but we all know people who claim to be Christians who are negative and selfish. It is not a joy to be around them. One would hope that as we get older, we would get sweeter. As my husband has preached on many occasions, if you don’t conquer your sins when you are young, it is much more difficult when you get old.
Why do we not conquer these things in our lives? We just ride a roller coaster and never truly surrender these areas to our Lord. I don’t know about you, but there are some areas of my life that are just not a struggle anymore, but there are others that still give me trouble. I think sometimes Christians become grouchy old people because we realize how we have wasted the years that God gave us.
Perhaps we are like Saul in the Bible who filled his life with jealousy and pride. He wanted to be the best and the most praised, but David became the hero of Israel instead. He spent most of his time hating David and trying to kill him. He never reached his potential as king or with God. In fact, he met an early death because of his disobedience.
Perhaps we are like Judas and we have another God in our life besides our Heavenly Father. We want riches and power. Judas betrayed our Lord for thirty pieces of silver. Do we betray Him because we want to have more material possessions? Is the almighty dollar causing problems in our families? Perhaps we spend too freely or maybe we hold on to it tightly. Our assurance is in our bank account instead of our Lord. Do we not tithe or give to the Lord’s work because we feel we need it more?
And, of course there is Lot, the nephew of Abraham. He loved the world. When given the opportunity to choose land, he chose what was best for him and not his uncle. This portrayed selfishness. He stayed in Sodom which was a sin-sick city. When he tried to get his future sons-in-law to come with him to safety, they laughed at him. He had no credibility. He apparently did not have a reputation as a Godly man. When he was in Sodom and the angels warned him to leave, he lingered. He did not want to leave. They had to grab hold of him. He obviously loved the world he had made his own.
What about us? Do we love this present world more than we love God? I believe we do not obey God’s calling for so many reasons. In our ministry, I believe people do not come to serve because they want more money or they do not want to work the number of hours that is required. Ministry work is not a 9 to 5 job. They want the benefits a secular job has to offer. I realize that everyone is not called to full-time ministry service. We all should serve in the capacity God calls us to. My Dad was a great witness as a mailman, and he served as a lay person in the church. That was his full-time calling. But he would have been willing had God called him to full-time service in a ministry. Sadly, there must be many people who are called and refuse to serve.
The love of the world also pulls us in other directions. Perhaps we want to be popular and go places that we shouldn’t. We want to dress like the world and go with their modern fashions. We want to listen to their music and watch their movies. Maybe other people are keeping us from serving. They are too caught up in the world. Sometimes our spouses don’t want us to serve because they just don’t want to be inconvenienced. We know people who have not been able to surrender to the call to preach because their wives did not want to be married to preachers. We also know a lady who wanted to play the piano at church, but her husband did not want her to. He did not want her to be committed to being at church every service as well as choir practice. So the spouses are put in a position to have to choose.
As you grow older, do not look back on your life with regrets. Serve our Lord today with vigor and dedication. Get off the roller coaster and surrender completely to His will. Maybe look ahead and defeat your besetting sin.
My daughter gave me this verse many years ago, and I put it on my refrigerator. I want it to be my prayer. As you grow older, perhaps you would like this to be your prayer, too.
“O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grey headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come.” Psalm 71:17-18.
Do you want to be a grumpy old person? If not, then conquer those besetting sins and live the life our heavenly Father would have you to live. Practice now and be a joyful Christian who is walking with God. Are we going to mess up? As long as we are residents of this earth, we will. Our hearts need to have a desire to please Jesus Christ. Stop wavering and surrender. It will give us the joy that will sustain us through our young days and our latter years. The best way not to be a miserable grumpy old person is to be a joyful young person.
May the joy of the Lord shine through in us from now until we are called home. I so want to be a sweet old person. I hope I grow sweeter each day of my life. Lord, help me to have your joy in me. May everyone I meet see your strength and power in me now and when I am old.
What about you? There is time to make a change. Get off the roller coaster of life and let His joy shine through you.
Mrs. Worthington has five children and twelve grandchildren. She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.