A Believer Looks At 60

Having gone through some pretty significant life changes since the first of the year, has provided me with an excuse for neglecting my readers (neglecting might not be the best word considering my three faithful readers are my wife and two kids, and they have certainly NOT been neglected. Actually, I probably come closest to neglecting them when I am attending to my blog - oh, never mind, I'm getting way to into the weeds).

We've moved (again!), I've resigned from two jobs, left and found a church, both kids have started their first jobs, and I turned 60. With a deferential nod to Jimmy Buffet's song title "A Pirate Looks at 40", let me pen my own retrospective.

This leads me to the piece written by Albert Barnes on the occasion of his turning 60 years old. I found it on Grace Gems where there are so many inspirational writings. The humbling part was how a man such as Barnes, who clearly was brilliant, and God-fearing, felt unsure that he had anything worth saying. That is, his perspective on life was no more valuable or accurate than the next man's. In a way I get what he is saying, but I am glad he thought it over and decided his views had inherent worth. As a Believer (specifically a man) his insights are incredibly uplifting. In my experience, most people wouldn't be able to understand the depth of his insights, let alone derive any benefit from them. It's not due to his complicated "high theology" approach; as he writes in an easily understandable style. It's because so many people are essentially shallow and don't want to think of anything "deeper" than their vacation plans.

So, back to me and my post. Like Barnes, I feel that 60 is a good age for someone (assuming they have garnered some wisdom during their lifetime. Of course this starts with "the fear of the Lord...") to "pay it forward".This stage of life allows reflection, but still offers opportunity. Old enough to "talk the talk", but young enough to "walk the walk". Without trying to offend (who me?), let me elaborate: much younger, likely not enough life experience; much older, you may be ignored (wrongly, but in our society, often the case).

Many of us can identify with living too much in the moment, never giving any thought with "getting old". I know I didn't; until recently (like since March 8th :) Thankfully, as a Christian, I have thought much about eternity; as it should be. Of course this helps my perspective on everything (when applied). That is when I realize Jesus has "hooked us up" regarding eternity, I can truly recite the saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff, ...and it's all small stuff". Of course I don't always remember this when I let the "burrs" of daily living put me in a foul mood. We Believers always balance this state of tension between Gods promises and our weaknesses.

It's funny how all the other "milestone" birthdays didn't faze me.Turning 30,40,50; no big deal. For some reason though, turning 60 has grabbed my attention. Maybe being a late bloomer explains much of this. At 30 I was still eight years away from getting married, so I was pretty much living as I had the last ten years. At 40 I was a new father, so my attention was not focused inward. At 50 I was in the middle of a full-time career and busy being the father to two young children. But now things are quite different as I am semi-retired and the kids are young adults, starting to pursue their own futures. As I have recently stopped working full-time (forever?), I have more time to pursue my interests, but also more time for introspection. You have to be careful though, because although it's good to take stock of things, it can be easy to become too self-critical, or "Monday Morning Quarterback" your life. I would always say that I couldn't wait to retire and do what I want to do, when I want to do it; and I am enjoying that reality to a certain extent. But as a Believer, there is a great deal of responsibility that comes with this latitude, as we have to guard against idleness and selfishness (or silliness as I like to label it).

As a follower of Christ I can't take the attitude that now that I'm done "punching the clock" for a living, the rest of my life (time) is all mine. None of my life has ever been "mine". You might argue that especially now with more of the sand at the bottom of the glass, than at the top, I need to be extra diligent in using God's gift of time properly. And how do you use it properly: by spending even more time with God (prayer/Bible), and sharing the Gospel. Make no mistake, I believe in a healthy balance of Christian service and recreation. I would not be at my best as an ambassador for Christ if I was not keeping myself fit and healthy; physically and mentally. Some guys need to fish, some to work on cars or woodcraft, some fly planes or sail boats; I need my running, lifting, and court sports to offset the demands of our modern society. Of course a loving wife and children form the bedrock that supports all of this.

So a new phase has begun and Lord willing it will be one that approaches 30 years. The Bible tells us that anyone living to 80 has pretty much had a full life (at least in the sense of allotted time on this planet). What we do with it is, of course, up to us. If He lets me live that long, than, on the balance, more of my years on earth will have been walking with Him, than not. I like the sound of that. I never could understand how unsaved people can deal with life's tragedies. Similarly, how do they deal with getting old. If you're old and physically starting to slow down and generally feel the relentless passage of time; no wonder so many say "...it's no fun getting old." As I'm starting to see myself "getting older" I can agree that some things about getting old are not fun; but that's not the same as no fun. I still have lots of fun, and I know men 20 years older than me who find much joy in life. And yes, there are Believers who fret about getting old, and there are unbelievers who still have fun into their golden years. But that's a matter of perception and attitude, whereas I'm talking about reality. The reality is if you haven't accepted Jesus and you're getting closer to the end of your life, you have nothing to look forward to except (at best) uncertainty; at worst, the realization that you are going to spend eternity suffering in Hell. Conversely, we as Believers know that the relatively short time we spend as an "old person", if we are granted the opportunity, pales next to our glorious eternity in Heaven with the Creator of the Universe.

My opinion is that nothing is much more pathetic or sad than a depressed or bitter old person. We all have our moments and of course the older you are, the greater the chance that loss of friends and family make things more difficult. And I get it that the Lord could call any one of us, young or old, home anytime, but when you see younger people displaying bitterness, you like to think they have time to amend their attitudes as perhaps they haven't been ingrained for such a long time. But an elderly person obviously does not have time on their side, and to think they would die in such a state is unsettling. On the other hand, I've always found happy older people, such an inspiration; such a great testimony if they are Believers. Whether it's an elderly couple who still hold hands taking a walk, or the 80 something guy in the 10k, it's a reminder that God's Blessings abound all of our lives.

I guess I'm a "young old guy", chronologically and emotionally. Age hasn't mellowed me that much. Some, but not a lot. What has mellowed me, maybe more accurately, "meekened" me (hah, I made up a word I think!) more than the clock, has been Christ. I truly  believe and enjoy that I have become humble and meek. Not perfectly so, but much improved. It's too bad that so many contemporary people (mostly men, but not all) equate these traits with weakness. That only displays their ignorance of language (and Scripture). To be humble is to recognize you are nothing without God. You can claim no ownership over your talents, accomplishments, fortunes, anything; God gave them to you. To be meek is to have your strength under control. As a Christian man, you are just as tough and dynamic as any reckless lawbreaker, but it is tempered by self-control. Any idiot can be a boisterous brawler, but if you want to be on God's Special Forces; you have to be able to harness your power.

All I can hope for as I look toward the third installment in my personal trilogy is that I have learned a few useful things that I can impart to those still in their first or second installments. Maybe even show some that even though life may not begin at 40, it sure doesn’t end at 60.