| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor” Our Bible verse for today: “The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green, to declare: “The Lord is just; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Older Christians can be great mentors” I think Eleanor Roosevelt got it exactly right when she said, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” Young people are often admired for their good looks and their slender youthful bodies, but that’s largely a function of genetics and good fortune. A beautiful old person is almost always considered beautiful for who they are on the inside. A beautiful heart is a work of art and a winsome spirit is developed over time. Godly wisdom comes from a lifetime of walking with Jesus, and because this is true, such people continue to thrive even in old age. This is what the Psalmist was describing in Psalm 82:12-15 (above). Not necessarily physically thriving – the older body certainly isn’t as healthy and vibrant as the younger body was – but spiritually they bear even more fruit in the senior years than they did when they were younger. Yesterday we asked the question, “Where have all the good mentors gone?” They haven’t gone anywhere. They’re right there in our pews. Older Christians are the hidden treasures of the church. If they have indeed spent a lifetime walking closely with Jesus, in old age they will be fonts of wisdom and insight. They have a lifetime of experiences to share and they have understanding of people and situations that runs deep. If you’re looking for a mentor, pray and ask God to connect you to an older person in your church. And if you are one of those older persons, tell God you’re available and willing to be a friend and mentor to a younger Christian. Mentoring is an ideal ministry activity for older Christians. Richard Morgan, who spent a lifetime serving as a chaplain to older people, said that all too often the three temptations of older people are to decline, to whine, and to recline. But a fourth option, a much more worthwhile one, is to shine. You can indeed shine in old age, and mentoring is an excellent way to do so. In the days to come I want to share with you some stories about older Christians who I’ve personally been blessed to know. But for today, if you don’t have an older mentor, then I encourage you to ask God to lead you to one. And if you aren’t serving as someone’s mentor, ask God to lead you to a younger person you can build such a relationship with. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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Good morning, Pastor Jim. There is a formal mentoring program in Crossville aimed at young people, most of whom come from troubled homes. There are currently more kids in need of mentoring than there are mentors. Perhaps our church body can connect with this organization to put your words today into practice. I can follow up on this if it’s a direction you’d like to explore.
Blessings,
Jim Goodrich
Sent from my iPad
Hi Jim. I am familiar with the Kids on the Rise program. Some years ago I served as a mentor for one of their boys. Also, Josh Stone, the son of Jim and Carla Cox is the President of the Board of Directors. I plan to use KOTR as the subject of the one of the upcoming devotionals in this series. Thanks for the tip!