Meeting God In the Stages of Life – The Senior Years

Two elderly ladies had been friends all of their lives. Over the years they shared all kinds of activities and adventures. They were closer than sisters. Lately, however, their activities had become limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.

One day they were sitting opposite each other at the card table when one looked at the other and said, “Now don’t get mad at me. I know we have been friends for over 80 years, but I just can’t remember your name. I’ve thought and thought but I can’t remember. Can you please tell me what your name is.”

The other lady sat and glared at her. For at least 3 minutes she just stared and glared. Finally she asked: “How soon do you need to know?”

I guess you could say that was a “senior moment”. This is the last in a series of sermons on the stages of life and how God wants to be present during all of those stages. Today we will think about “The Senior Years”. The “Golden Years”. Comedian George Burns had a definition of old age. He said, “Old age is when you don’t have to own antiques to sit down on something that’s over 80 years old.”

People are living longer today. I came across some statistics that said the average life expectancy in 1900 was 49 years. In 1999, the average life expectancy was 76 years. Since more people are alive today in their 80’s or 90’s, or even over 100 years old, some make the distinction between the “young-old” and the “old-old”. The “young-old” are those aged 60-75 while the “old-old” are 75 plus. I suppose those of you over 75 may be upset with me for saying that. Remember, I am just quoting someone and not necessarily agreeing!
Perhaps it ought to be said that our culture is not too kind in its attitude towards the aged. Youthfulness is held up as the ideal. Whereas many societies accept old age as a natural part of the life cycle, our society tends to resist that. We try to do all we can to stay young and look young. The cosmetic industry is booming because of it!
In many cultures, older people are revered. They are looked upon as a source of wisdom or practical knowledge. In our culture, the elderly are sometimes just tolerated or even scorned. One of the factors adding to this is the information explosion. In years past when it was time to plant crops, a young person went to dad or granddad to find out what to do. Today information and technology are expanding so quickly that children do not go to granddad to find out how to work a computer. Usually it’s just the other way around! This is all part of the larger picture of being an older person in the United States today.

What are some of the issues that we face in the senior years of life? Once more I want to thank those persons who completed the questionnaires that I gave out before this sermon series. Your responses have helped me understand what some of the issues are for senior citizens.

One of biggies is this: the losses we may have to face in the older years of life. For one, there is often the loss of health. A number of people on the questionnaires pointed to a concern over health issues. As we get older the body begins to wear out. We have aches and pains we may never have had before, or perhaps we face chronic illness or physical limitations.

An older gentleman had a serious hearing problem for a number of years. Finally he went to the doctor and was fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed him to hear well. About a month later he went back to the doctor for another checkup and the doctor said, “Your hearing is almost perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” The gentleman replied: “Oh, I tell them my hearing aids don’t work and I can’t hear a thing. I just sit around and listen to the conversation. I’ve changed my will three times.”

Also our memory may start to go. There was something else I wanted to say here, but I forgot what it is!

Many in the older years lose a spouse. This means adjusting to a whole different life without husband or wife.

We may start to lose many of our elderly friends. When my one grandmother was getting along well into her years she would remark how sad she felt now that so many of her friends were gone.

Older people may lose their independence. Even the person who had been very self-sufficient may now have to depend on children, or neighbors, or the staff of a nursing home. Imagine the loss of self-esteem associated with that.

There can also be the loss of one’s home. We no longer have the stamina to tend for our house and yard, or perhaps we cannot keep up financially with the costs of maintaining our home. So we give up our home and all of its accumulated memories.

Part of those losses might also include a reduction in financial resources. Many in their senior years are financially well off and comfortable. Others are struggling. How many persons are trying to live just on Social Security or a small pension. Often the costs of medicines and prescription drugs takes a big chunk out of that limited income.

So, many elderly people have to cope with a myriad of losses. This can trigger sadness and depression. It is also not unusual to have apprehensions and fear as one faces the challenges of getting older.

Of course there are also blessings and benefits associated with the senior years. We might have more free time to do what we want, to travel, to do things we never had time to do when we were employed or raising our children. Also, enjoying grandchildren or younger children in our family can add a joyful dimension to this stage of life.

There are some real challenges to be faced in the older years of life, but I also believe that these can be good years, years filled with the grace and presence of God. Our Scripture text today is Psalm 71. This psalm was written by an aged man of faith as he seeks God’s deliverance from enemies, sickness and shame.

These words of an old man of faith can show us how to find the resources of God for our senior years. I call it a “Prescription For Old Age”.

First there is prayer. Actually, the whole psalm is a prayer. It is a prayer for deliverance. It begins: “In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel (Psalm 71:1-4).” There were threatening things this man had to face in his later years. He was able to pray that God would deliver him from them.

He goes on to pray, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent” (verse 9). Whatever we face in our senior years – whether fears, losses, loneliness – God will not forsake us! The writer of Psalm 71 knows God as his rock and fortress: “Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me” (verse 3). God can be for us our rock and refuge – and prayer can be the way we get in touch with the power of God to sustain us.

The second quality to note about this aged psalm writer’s life is praise. He says, “My praise is continually of you” (verse 6). Notice, he does not just praise God once in a while but continually. Verse 8 shows the same: “My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.” He longs to increase the amount of praise he shows to God: “But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more” (verse 14). He goes on to praise God for God’s faithfulness: “I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you, my soul also, which you have rescued” (verses 22-23).

How many older people are grumps? They even made a movie called Grumpy Old Men. Of course there are lots of young grumps and middle-aged grumps also! Here is the point: We can spend our later years complaining, or bitter, or nit-picking. We can have a negative attitude. Or, we can praise the Lord.

I preached a sermon last November entitled “Praise the Lord”. I tried to show some of the benefits that come from praising God consistently, even when things go sour and even when we do not feel like praising the Lord. This practice is applicable to persons of any age. It certainly coves the senior years too.

Praising the Lord continually can be part of a prescription for a happier life and a more positive outlook. I sometimes watch a television preacher named Dr. Gerald Mann. He has a very laid back style that’s different from most of the TV preachers. The other night he mentioned in his sermon that he had just talked to Charlie Shedd. Charlie has been around quite a while, and has written some best selling books like Letters To Karen and Letters To Philip. He always came across as a fun type of guy with a positive outlook. His wife Martha died a while back. Gerald mentioned how Charlie Shedd just got married again at age 83, and how he said it is wonderful being that old. He said you can walk up to a movie theater where there’s a long line and just walk to the front and somebody will let you in! I like such a cheerful, positive attitude! Thanking the Lord and praising the Lord does everybody a lot more good than bellyaching and moaning our way to the grave!

There is another thing about the old man who wrote Psalm 71 that tell us why he discovered the joy and the resources of God for his senior years. It is summed up in the word purpose. He had a purpose in life. Listen to what he says: “My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come” (vs 15-18 ) His purpose was to tell of God’s righteous acts (vs. 15), to proclaim God’s wondrous deeds (vs. 17), and to tell of God’s might to all the generations to come (vs. 18).

Notice, first, that he had something to keep him occupied. From all I have read and heard, we are so much better off if we keep mentally and physically active in our later years. Physical exercise has proved to be beneficial and can add to our life span. Keeping mentally sharp and alert is important too. I will never forget a spry 90 year-old in one church who regularly worked out in a local gym. He often told me that I better not go there unless I wear blinders because there are so many nice looking women working out! I guess we have all come to realize that we are better off staying active in our later years.

However, I want to move beyond the point of just saying “stay active”. Notice what the writer of Psalm 71 said: “O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come” (verse 18). He was saying, “I have meaningful work to do!” He wanted to pass the torch of his faith to younger generations.

That is a far cry from the attitude of many senior citizens today! “I’ve paid my dues. Let somebody else do it now” (we hear that in church). “I want to retire and just simply relax and enjoy life.”

I don’t think the modern concept of retirement is even found in the Bible! Let me say some things about retirement. There is nothing wrong with wanting to retire from our place of employment so that we can do something else. It is another matter, however, to take the attitude: “I’ve worked hard all my life. Now I am just going to enjoy myself and let others do for me.”

If we are Christians and disciples of Jesus, we can never retire from that! There are always people who need to hear the gospel and hurting people who need a loving hand. One of the greatest untapped resources in the community and the church are older folk who just fritter away their remaining years in trivial, rather self-centered activities.

I want to challenge you older folk to get involved in ministry. Even if you are limited in what you can do, you can do something! The gospel writer Luke records a beautiful story about a lady named Anna. She was 84 years old, widowed many years. She could not do much, but look at what she did: “She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child (Jesus) to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:37-38). She had a ministry of prayer and fasting! When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated, she began to praise God and speak about Him as the Messiah.

I challenge you to be involved in something important for the kingdom of God! I also challenge you senior citizens as a group in this church to get involved in meaningful ministry beyond yourselves.

For some months I have been meeting occasionally with two men who are leaders in their church. They are both long time church members, traditional in their view of the church. I have been telling them what God is doing in this church to transform and bring new life to it. They have caught the vision and are now working in their congregation to help it change and be transformed by the Spirit. Both of these men are retired! But they are leading the way in that congregation and even teaching their pastor about transformation!

The old man who wrote Psalm 71 gives us a “Prescription For Old Age”, a way to make those years meaningful. Prayer. Praise. Purpose. There is one more part to that prescription for success. It is preparation.

He came into the final stage of life prepared in the best possible way! Hear what he says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you have I leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you” (verses 5-6).

He did not wait until near the end of his life to “cram for the final exam”. He had a faith that stretched way back to his youthful days. One of the major tasks of the last stage of life is what some term “life review and integration”. In other words, to make sense of your life and to be at peace about ending your days. I believe it is difficult, if not impossible, to do that without a meaningful religious faith. As a Christian I believe that we have a relationship with God and are at peace with God only by trusting Jesus, the Savior of the world.

The time to develop a relationship with God and a meaningful faith is not to wait until we get old! For one thing, there is no guarantee that we will survive into old age. Frankly, I have seen many elderly people who have ignored the spiritual side to life struggle in their last days or hours to find God. It is true, God accepts us on our deathbed if we repent and come to faith in Christ, just as Jesus gave pardon and hope to a dying thief on a cross in his last moments. If you are elderly and are not yet saved, I urge you to give your life to Christ.

But don’t wait until then! Because you will miss out on the adventure of living with Christ through all the stages of your life!

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