In John's epistle, he gave and repeated the reason he was writing to a group he labeled "fathers."
I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:12-14, emphasis added).
While this is addressed to men, Paul had something to say to Timothy about the older women:
Do not add any widow to the list of widows unless she is over sixty years of age. In addition, she must have been married only once and have a reputation for good deeds: a woman who brought up her children well, received strangers in her home, performed humble duties for other Christians, helped people in trouble, and devoted herself to doing good (1 Timothy 5:9-10, GNT).
Now obviously times have changed and Paul would probably write something a bit different if he were alive today, but the main emphasis for fathers and widows was this: be of service to others. The "fathers" were to take their experience knowing God for a long time and distill lessons from those experiences that would benefit others. The "widows" were to "devote [themselves] to doing good." They were to find and create ways to be useful.
For me, being a father and doing good is expressed through writing and being active on social media to help others find purpose and to release creative. It is expressed through publishing—coming alongside mostly first-time authors to help them produce their creative projects. it's traveling to other countries where gray hair is honored to teach about leadership, purpose, and church reform.
I'm a "father' in the church and my life philosophy must be what John wrote a few verses after he mentioned "fathers": "The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever" (1 John 2:17). I'm teaching people what little I know about "doing the will of God" where purpose is concerned and I'll do that until I don't have strength or die.
What is doing good for you? How can you make yourself useful by doing the good you are able to do? Have you retired from God's kingdom work, satisfied with your past record or are you pushing on to share your knowledge of God through words and deeds? What more can you do? What have you thought about doing but dismissed it because of your age (either too young or too old)?
I hear people today dismissing age as "only a number," but I respond, "Yes, but my number is pretty big!" None of us are getting out of her alive, but I'm determined not to cooperate with the typical image of old age. If I understand purpose correctly, we're never too old to find and fulfill it, so I invite you to join me on the road named "doing good." There's no limit to the number of stops you can make on that road if your heart is to serve and your mind is forever young. Have a blessed week!
Comments