Dear Friend:
One lesson I learned from my father was how not to grow old.
I mean no disrespect. I dearly loved him. But my dad became a recluse later in life.
While he lived with us, he stayed in his room behind a closed door with his television on nearly
every day. He came out only to eat and attend church.
Aging confined him to a kind of self-made prison . . . and, if we aren’t careful, it can do the same
to any one of us. Three temptations are especially common among the aging.
Feeling useless. You once carried loads of responsibility, but because you can’t do what you once
did, now you feel like you can’t do anything.
Feeling guilty. Maybe you regret things you’ve done. Dwelling on the past, however, pours cement
into your shoes.
Feeling self-pity. The constant trials and pains of aging can sink you into a “Woe Is Me” pit
of despair.
My friend, none of these feelings come from the living God!
With His strength, believers can break through these iron bars of futility. Christ has forgiven you.
He promises to direct you along the way and sustain you to the end.
Moses was 80 when God spoke to him through the burning bush and then led him into the most
significant years of his life.
Always stay open to the divine adventure of God’s call. He is full of surprises!
So many people—of all ages—need consistent inspiration and strength from this biblical truth!
God enables us to live meaningful lives throughout all our years, including our final ones. Insight
desires to walk with you and our other listeners in following Christ’s adventure. Will you help us do so by praying for us and then sending us a financial gift this month?
Let’s make it our goal to age well, my friend! As long as we have air in our lungs, the Lord has
a purpose for us.
Relying with you on the living Lord,
Pastor Charles R. Swindoll