Encouragement for older people

Titus 2:2-8 (NLT)

Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.   Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.  Instead, they should teach others what is good.  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.   In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely.  And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. 

When I saw the word “older” written in this passage, I was reminded of this funny story: A woman approached a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch.  She said, "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look, what's your secret for a long happy life?"  He replied, "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise." "That's amazing," the woman said. "How old are you?' "Twenty-six,"

Titus was a young man who Paul converted to the Christian faith.  We don’t know much about Titus as he is not mentioned in Acts as so many early Christians are.  However, Paul mentions Titus in his letter to the Galatians (2:1-3) and several times in II Corinthians (2:13, 7:6, 7:13-14, 8:5-6; 8:16-24, and 12:18) where it is obvious how important Titus was in ministry.  Paul viewed Titus as someone who could be depended on to accomplish important tasks and was an excellent role model in trying circumstances.  Thus, as Paul writes his letter to his younger colleague, he gives him these instructions for teaching sound doctrine to other people. 

Note what are to be characteristics of “older men”--- self control, worthy of respect, wise living, sound faith, and filled with love and patience.  When you first see the word “older”, you think of someone really old, like in their 80s-90s.  No, old age in ancient Greece was viewed to be 50 and older.  Paul writes in verses 6-8 that even young men are to live wisely just like old men.  Furthermore, mature Christians like Titus are to serve as examples, as Paul teaches, by doing good works, reflecting integrity (purity), sound doctrine, and being truthful so that you are beyond reproach in whatever you say and no one can say anything negative about you.

Paul also gives instructions to older women to serve as examples to younger women by loving your husband, loving your children, live wisely, be pure, work in the home (hmmmm, that will raise eyebrows in today’s society), do good (be kind) and be submissive to your husband (also controversial unless husbands earn such respect via your sacrificial loving attitude and actions toward your wife). 

The encouragement of this passage for older folks reading this is that God gives us a vital ministry regardless how old we are.  If you are over 50, be encouraged that you have a role to play as a mentor and example to younger Christian people, even to those who are not Christian yet.  Old age is not an excuse to retire as a Christian.  Old age is a time for a Christian to influence others in their Christian walk that you could never do as a younger person.  Do not let old age deter you from serving the Lord in special ways and be useful in His kingdom as Paul so clearly points out in this passage to his friend, Titus. 

JR Miller wrote that “those who are growing old should show the ripest spiritual fruitfulness.  They should do their best work for Christ in the days which remain. They should live their sweetest, gentlest, kindliest, most helpful life in the short time which they have yet to remain in this world. They should make their years of old age—years of quietness and peace, and joy—a holy eventide. But this can be the story of their experiences only if their life be hid with Christ in God.  Apart from Christ, no life can keep its zest or its radiance!”[1]  Might these words encourage and inspire you!

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[1] http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/problem_of_christian_old_age.htm

Jesus' parable of the soils

Matthew 13:22 (TNIV)

The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

This is one verse from Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:1-23 of the sower where He describes four kinds of soils.  The sower is God and the seed He sows in His Word.  There are four ways in which the seed reacts on the soil, representing four ways that people respond to the Word of God.  Three of the four soils results in the Word of God having little or no effect.  Only in the fourth soil does the Word of God thrive and results in unlimited fruit.  The soil Matthew 13:22 points out wrong priorities in people’s lives.  Such priorities are worldly that simply choke out the word and results in a person who bears little or no fruit in others’ lives. 

So many people go to church, hear a great sermon, are inspired to make changes in their lives to apply the sermon message, then go to work on Monday, get involved in the secular world, encounter a myriad of problems in their professional and personal/family lives, and quickly forget their desire to make changes.  Jesus refers to two main worldly phenomena that choke the potential positive influence of His word.  One is worry, the other is wealth and its deceit. 

There is a great verse, perhaps one of the most loved verses of the entire Bible that gives God’s perspective on worry.  Philippians 4:6 says that we are to worry about nothing (the Living Bible says “don’t worry about anything”).  That is what God thinks about worry.  Worry is the opposite of faith.  We are human and to worry is natural, but we can control the extent to which we worry.  We are to replace worry with prayer (Philippians 4:6).  Jesus Himself said that we are not to keep worrying (Luke 12:29).  Worry has to be a major weapon of the devil that keeps us from fulfilling God’s will for our lives.  In fact, it’s said that when we worry we are outside the will of God.

Scripture has a lot to say about wealth/money. Jesus taught more on the topic of money and possessions than on heaven and hell combined.  Jesus’ summary about money is found in Matthew 6:24 where He clearly stated that we either serve God or we serve mammon (money, riches, greed).  When we allow (give priority to) money, riches, and materialism to dominate our lives, we for sure choke God’s word right out of our lives 

What kind of soil are you?  May it not be the thorny soil described above; may it be the good soil that bears wonderful fruit in others lives.  May this be your priority, to be the good soil. 

Christians have a spirit of power, love and discipline

II Timothy 1:7 (AB)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 

The Bible is very clear by its persistent repetition throughout its pages that if you are a child of God, you are never to fear anyone or anything except Him (and to fear Him means to honor and reverence Him, not hide or cower from Him).  One clear indication that you are filled and being led by the Holy Spirit is when you absolutely feel no fear, no timidity, no cowardice about anyone or anything around you.  Can you honestly admit this?  Or, must you admit that you live much of your life in fear? 

You must not give up or give in.  God is always at work in you (Philippians 1:6).  He has given you His Holy Spirit once you sincerely confessed Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord (Ephesians 1:13).  The Spirit wants to fill you completely, but there are many obstacles to this happening for any sustained period of time and some of those main obstacles are flesh-borne, sometimes irrational fears that you’ve accumulated your whole life. 

For many years I had a great fear of roller coasters.  I would not get on them and didn’t care that others thought less of me for having such fear.  One time while chaperoning a youth group on a Kings Island trip, there was one girl who did not have a partner to ride The Beast with her.  She asked me to ride with her.  Of course, at first I resisted, but, candidly, my male ego started to bother me that here a 13-year old girl wasn’t afraid yet this near 40 year old man was.  So, I reluctantly agreed to get on the roller coaster with her and fear overwhelmingly gripped my heart.  As the roller coaster zoomed down that first precipice, I was white as a sheet and wanted to throw up.  This young girl looked at me, saw that I was in trouble and said something like, “Mr. Akers, just scream your lungs out”.  Well, I did and you know what happened?  All the tension and stress and fear just dissipated from my body and soul.  From that point on, I had no problems riding roller coasters because I learned how to deal with the fear of them. 

Perhaps a poor analogy, but my illustration points out that outward screaming replaced inward fear.  In Paul’s words to Timothy, the Spirit of God—all His power and love and calmness and discipline and self-control—will replace whatever inwardly causes you to fear.  God brings His Spirit from outside of you to inside of you and replaces whatever inside of you is anti-God and being fearful and timid is anti-God.

So, how might you apply this verse right now?  What are you afraid of?  Ask God to fill you with His Spirit to enable you to overcome that fear.  Who are you afraid of?  Instead of you on your own facing that person, think of the power of God facing that person.  Story after story of Christians facing persecution and death with unwavering courage substantiate the truth that these Christians were filled with the Spirit of God who removed all their fears and replaced those fears with power and love and discipline.  He will do the same for anyone who asks Him for help in facing whatever causes you fear, whatever makes you timid, whoever threatens to make you a coward.