GROWING OLD DOES NOT MEAN GIVING UP!
Too often older men can feel of no benefit, their lives are over, and they are often left out, ignored, and their opinions not valued.
“But God…” values them and has a prominent ministry for them to exercise to benefit their contemporaries and younger generation, and honor Him as a light in his sphere of influence, wherever they find themselves. And in the context of Titus 2:1-2 it is in the congregation of believers. Older men have value, are valued by God, and to be a testimony to the younger men of what an older saint is to look like by the way they live as elder statesmen of the LORD!
The older men (and women) have so much to offer a congregation as they have lived longer, seeing God answer prayers and meet them through their difficulties, trials, joys and all that life has thrown at them, they have lived longer and a longer history with God!
Growing old means they are to be Growing in Godly traits…and he mentions in six particular traits of a life that stands out, the beauty of a life as you grow older.
- temperate, {level headed}
- worthy of respect,
- self-controlled,
- sound in faith,
- love
- endurance.-{Read Titus 2:1-2}
Paul taught Titus to teach the older men to grow old with Divine PERSPECTIVE, purpose and choosing to practice these 6 Godly traits …
- “Older men are to be temperate,(sober minded) dignified, sensible, sound in faith, sound in love, in perseverance.” -(Titus 2:2)
GROWING OLD DOES NOT MEAN GIVING UP,
….BUT GOING ON…GROWING IN GODLINESS! And if I may say so GLOWING in character that is able to be seen, observed, admired by those who value God and His people- Older men (and women as Titus mentions them in the next verses) offer hope to their contemporaries and younger men of how they too can honor God and see a model of what to aim for as they too reach old age!
It is as though the older men- though not perfect- say here is the direction to aim for in your walk and as you too someday will reach old age!
And Paul elsewhere indicated old age as being sixty and older. In Ancient Greek literature, the word was sometimes used of 50-year-old men. So, I think based on the cultural view of the day of an “older man” it would be ok to say fifty.
WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO GIVE UP
while we have the opportunity to GROW up and SHOW the younger generation what a Godly older man looks like and encourage them as our lives are to point them to the LORD.
Older men can have a tendency to live in the past. Past regrets, disappointments, lost opportunities, taking up their thoughts. IF YOU LIVE THERE YOU WILL DIE THERE! Due to the opportunities around you now to Glorify God, to invest in people’s lives like Ephaphras did in Colossians 4 – where he prayed for people who were in a different location. You will miss opportunities to influence people who are in your present circumstances.
** Don’t die by living in the past, for God has a role for you presently to represent Him.
- It is easy to often imitate those older men who are without hope and God in this world, through giving up growing old and bitter, grumpy, irritated by everything and everyone, to sink into ourselves and live a life of regrets, and hopelessness.
- No, not the child of God, we have TOO MUCH to be thankful for, TOO MUCH to look forward to, and TOO MUCH to Live for.., the Honor of our LORD Jesus Christ!
And though our days are shorter than when we first believed, we are still on Divine assignment. God has entrusted us to be His ambassadors in these later days of our lives and to be His lights, and examples, through the pattern of our lives as we live out our last years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds before He gloriously takes us into His eternal presence to bask in Him and glory in Him and rest in His Love. We have a glorious future, for our future is Christ! And we are ever closer to seeing Him face to face! But in the meantime…
OLDER MEN still have meaningful usefulness in God’s economy … to TESTIFY through their life to a younger generation of HOW to Grow old and Glorify God with Godly living!
TEMPTATION;
So, if you are an Older Man. A follower of the Lamb and are tempted to sink down believing the lie that you are of no use, STOP believing the Lie, Titus 2:1-2 says otherwise! Get up, stand up, show up– the beauty of Christ as displayed and empowered by your dependence upon the Holy Spirit as you Display the Godly marks of an OLDER MAN- a Christin older statesman – representing and reflecting your Savior, your LORD Jesus Christ!
You have much to live for, otherwise, the LORD would have taken you Home!
Like a soldier assigned to a specific duty, so too you as an older man have been assigned to a specific duty- to Glorify GOD- in your old age!
Let Titus 2:1-2 comfort and remind you of your Divine assignment in His Divine plan for your later days – as His valued Ambassador in His plan for you amidst His people to shine forth the Beaty of Christ in an Older Man!
In and of ourselves we know we can not produce these characteristics apart from the empowering of the Holy Spirit. We know this. But we also know based on the authority of His Word that God has given us His Word to guide and increasingly govern us and His Spirit to empower us as we submit to Him and His Word, He will make these Titus 2:2 marks a reality as He continues to develop us and Displaying Christlikeness through us! Glory!
Take courage and hope and Go on. It’s too soon to quit while you have breath in your body… live out your last days for Jesus’ sake!
GROWING OLD- GIVE PEOPLE HOPE
– as they observe your life that it is possible to live out the Christian life even in Old Age!
Be a Godly old man. Make the choice to be so. If you have not been up to this point? Or have been diverted by lesser things? Ask the LORD to help change, and conform you, and He will! He has not GIVEN UP ON YOU -Phil 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” He began a good work “IN YOU” and He won’t give up! So, don’t you give up on Him or His divine assignment for you! Show up and Go on….!
DON’T BELIEVE THE LIE;
Growing older does not mean you have no value or no reason to live- that’s a lie to distract you from devotion to loving God and caring for others! You represent the LORD Jesus Christ! It does not matter whether some value you, God does, and amidst the congregation be to them what God has called and will enable you to be a – TITUS 2:2 man
Titus 2:1-2 show us the Role of an older Christian man in the lives of younger men in particular. A good prayer for the older men in your life to become such men. Not to give up but show forth the Godly virtues of a Godly older man!
“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be
- temperate, {level headed}
- worthy of respect,
- self-controlled,
- and sound in faith,
- in love
- and in endurance.”- {Titus 2:1-2}
Take Titus 2:1-2 and read daily for a week and as you do, it will help you memorize, meditate upon each word, and pray the Spirit of God will make reality to and through you, so that you model for those who come behind you!
God bless
Aidan.