Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Taking care of your soul”
Our Bible verse for today: “Here I am today, 85 years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.” Joshua 14:10-11 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “What kind of old person do you want to be?”
It’s a good question, really – “What kind of old person do you want to be?” Although unfortunately not everyone has the privilege of growing old because some people die young, statistically most of us will grow old. So, what kind of old person do you want to be?
I know what kind I do not want to be – I don’t want to be a grumpy old man. I don’t want to be the guy who is sour and petulant, always complaining about the younger generation and constantly going on and on about his health problems, and what medicines he’s on, and how much his gout is bothering him today, and so on. I don’t want to be Mr. Wilson from the Dennis the Menace comic strip.
I want to be like Dallas Willard who, the older he got the more peaceful, joyful, and serene he became. I want to be like Dick DeGrow, a retired pastor who at 75 years old joyfully cleaned the restrooms at church every week simply because he loved being useful in the house of the Lord. I want to be like former President George H.W. Bush, 90 years old and still jumping out of airplanes. And I want to be like Caleb (see Joshua 14:10-11 above), 85 years old and still ready to storm the gates of hell with a water pistol.
But here’s the thing – none of those men woke up on the morning of their 75th birthday to discover they had suddenly, magically, become the men they now were in their old age. No, they became those men slowly, progressively, over the course of many years. Here’s an important truth to consider and embrace – “In order to be the person you want to be then, you must be in the process of becoming that person now.” Think about that: “In order to be the person you want to be then, you must be in the process of becoming that person now.”
This is the business of spiritual formation. This is what soul-care is all about. It’s about the process of slowly but progressively – over decades of transformation, becoming the man or woman God wants you to be. Ideally, after walking closely with Jesus for decades, and by paying careful attention to the health of your soul, you should be at your very best spiritually in your twilight years. The twilight years should be the highlight years. Physically you might be in decline but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually you should be a champion prize fighter. But that will only be true if the growth and transformation is taking place now.
It really is true that in order to be the person you want to be then, you must be in the process of becoming that person now. That happens when you do the things necessary, on a daily basis, to take care of your soul. What kind of old person will you be?
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 