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I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. Joshua 14:11
“Age is just a number.”
Oftentimes, when people say that they are making a statement about the value they see in themselves.
“Don’t count me out!”
“Don’t let my age influence how you see me!”
“See my value, not my gray hair!”
Caleb was a man of faith. In his younger days, he was a courageous and mighty warrior. As he grew older, he watched as faithless family members died around him due to their lack of faith in God’s promise to give them the Promised Land.
We don’t hear much about Caleb as the people of Israel conquered the land God had promised them, but when it came time to claim the portion of land Moses promised him, he spoke up.
To paraphrase, he said something like this, “Don’t count me out! Don’t let my age fool you. My body may be older, but I can still perform the things God has called me to do.”
Paul says something similar to Timothy although it is regarding the other end of the spectrum. While Caleb was old, Timothy was young. Some may have looked down on Caleb because he was old. Some may have looked down on Timothy because he was young.
The message God has for us is this, “Don’t let age influence your influence.” As a member of the older generation, I need to learn from those younger than me, but also realize God’s not done with me yet.
Those in younger generations would be wise to glean knowledge and wisdom from those who have gone before us. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of history we are going to repeat them.
At whatever stage of life you are in, God can use you in mighty ways. Our world will be a better place is we glean Godly wisdom from those in every generation. God has walked through each generation. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
Keep learning. Keep active. Keep open to what others have/are learning. Learning is a life-long process God has ordained for our success.
Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7
Let’s be honest. Even if you love your job, we all have those days when we just want to quit and retire to some deserted island.
This is especially true for those of us blessed with the opportunity to work with people. I say that with all sincerity. I love people. I love to hear their stories. I love when I can see a light in their eyes that says ‘they get it’, that I’ve made a difference.
But if you work with people, or even just live with people, I think you will agree that sometimes we can all be, well, difficult! People can be critical of our most sincere efforts if those efforts don’t meet their expectations. People can throw you under the bus when they want to protect themselves. People can scrutinize your words when they doubt your integrity.
Charlie Brown, the great philosopher in Charles Schultz’s ‘Peanuts Comic Strip’ is accused by his nemesis Lucy of hating mankind. Charlie replies by saying, “I love mankind, IT’S PEOPLE I CAN’T STAND!” I think we can all relate.
Some of us have been stomped on, misrepresented, criticized when we’ve done our best and taken advantage of. Sometimes, sad to say, this is all done in the name of Jesus!
So, how do we get beyond the feelings of rejection leveled against us? Paul gives us an idea. When we ‘work with people’ in whatever capacity we are subject to their opinions and standards.
The attitude we each must take is to remember we work ‘with’ people but we work ‘for’ Jesus. When we work for Jesus it’s a different story. He’s the one that created you. He’s the one that empowers you through His Holy Spirit. He’s the one that gave His life so you could live yours.
So, let me suggest that starting today you quit working for people and start working for Jesus. His expectations of you are that you will fail even on your best days. His requirements are to love Him. His promise is to never leave you hanging. And He’ll never throw you under the next bus!
See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. Isaiah 12:2
Throughout history Satan has tried to destroy us. I’m quite sure as he watched Adam and Eve eat of the fruit of the tree he smiled with glee. He’d done it. He’d destroyed the relationship God had with His hallmark creation. But he didn’t.
When he gradually took away Job’s wealth, family/friends and health, I’m guessing he giggled. Now Job, God’s poster child would surely reject God. But he didn’t.
When Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross I can imagine him leaping for joy! Victory was his! But it wasn’t.
His tactics haven’t changed. Give the guy some credit. He doesn’t give up easily. His intent is still to defeat those who insist on believing, worshipping and following Jehovah God, the creator of the universe.
He uses a variety of tools from his tool box to try to keep us from enjoying the peace, joy and fulfillment of following Jesus.
He’ll use rejection, which often comes from people who claim to love us but turn away from us.
He slips in doubt by taking away what keeps us comfortable.
He uses fear by reminding us that the future is uncertain.
He instills in us desires that drive us towards things that don’t really satisfy.
These are just a few tools he uses to keep you from experiencing the victory only available through trusting our Heavenly Father in every circumstance. What’s his favorite tool to use on you?
People will fail you. Situations will cause you to want to doubt and fear. Remember, our Sovereign God is loving and our one and only source of true victory in the midst of attack. On the basis of His strength we can sing a song of victory when the enemy attacks.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Growing old physically is somewhat natural. We don’t have to think about it. It just happens. We can help it along of course with healthy habits, but we can’t stop the aging process.
Spiritual and emotional growth is different. Spiritual and emotional growth is often a matter of choice. We all know the stories of those who have gone through adversity, rejection, and disaster. Some have lived the rest of their lives as victims. Their bodies may have healed. Their situation may have improved, but they remain a slave to the effects of the situation that wounded them.
Others seem to take the negative and turn it into a positive; to take the problem and see the possibilities. Their attitude isn’t affected by the attacks. The hardest attacks to endure are the attacks others level against you. The words they speak echo in our minds even though facts prove them wrong. The expectations they have of you are unrealistic and perhaps not even verbalized until it’s too late.
What’s the difference in being a victim and being victorious? For the believer in Jesus it’s a matter of choice. We choose to listen to what God says about us, not the critical voices. We choose to evaluate our actions according to what the Holy Spirit tells us about ourselves.
While our bodies may grow weary, with Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our outlook on life is constantly refreshed. It’s his Spirit within us that gives us the strength to move forward when our bodies and mind say to stop.
Never give up. Compare the accusations you may be going through to what the word of God says. Be open to the need to improve, but close your mind to human fickleness. Remember, every day is a new day. Every ‘problem’ is a possibility. Every attack is an opportunity to validate who you are in Jesus. Be refreshed. It’s a new day!
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalms 55:22
One of the things I’ve always struggled with is asking for help. Asking for help is a sign of weakness. Asking for help can be placing a burden on someone else. Asking for help implies I don’t know what to do next.
All of those things aren’t necessarily true but that is how my brain works if I let it. The truth is, God created us for relationship. God created us for community. God created us to help each other bear the burdens of our lives.
That’s why, from the very beginning he states, ‘It isn’t good for mankind to go through life without a helper.’ (Genesis 2:18) We normally think of that in relation to the creation of woman, which is true, but in the broader sense, God knew we needed community.
We need to love on one another. We need to bear the burden’s of one another. We need to pray for one another. We need to encourage one another.
While all that’s true, there are some burdens others have that, in reality we can’t bear. We can pray for each other. We can do all sorts of other things to lift each other up, but the reality is some burdens can only be placed on the shoulders of Jesus, who is more than willing to take them on.
The burden of rejection from people you thought loved you. The burden of misunderstanding when you have done your best. The burden of unmet expectations. the burden of blame. The burden of criticism. I think you get the picture. Add your own burden to that list.
The reality is, even the most well-meaning people will reject you. But Jesus never will. NEVER. He doesn’t ask us to cast our burdens on him, it’s a command! You will be misunderstood, attacked and abandoned by some, but never by Jesus.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 