Senior Saints, Please Keep Serving
The name Ida Keeling may not mean anything to you, but her story from the past weekend’s Penn Relays made me take notice.
Keeling ran the 100-meter dash. There were nine runners in her race and she finished last; ninth out of nine. It took her over 67 seconds to finish the short run down the straightaway.
So, what could possibly be inspirational about that?
Ida Keeling is over 100 years of age!
Her time of 1:07 in the 100-meter dash is a new world record for the over-100 age bracket. (By the way, here is a news report about the race, and here is an article that contains the full race video.)
Her amazing effort got me thinking about older people, and how the church needs to value them more.
A Reminder about Church Growth
Often, I hear congregations of the Lord’s people talk about the need to “get more young people here.” We see a lot of graying hairlines and we worry about the future of the congregation.
Certainly, we should always be seeking young people to convert to the Lord. However, should we not also be seeking older people who are not Christians?
The church does not only need to get young people. The church needs to bring all who are lost to the saving blood of Jesus.
A Reminder to Church Leaders
Elders, ministry leaders, deacons, committee members, and so on do not only need to look for the young, active, energetic folks to help with various ministries within the body of Christ. If we are not seeking out the wisdom as well as the work ethic of the older members of our congregations, we are missing a blessing.
I would go so far as to say it this way: if we are not seeking help and input from both the younger and the older members of our churches, we may need to rethink if we should be leading at all.
While those older legs may not move as quickly as they once did, they can still carry a great deal of work in the church. And while those older minds may forget a few things or may take a little longer than I might like to process information, the wisdom those brains contain is a resource that cannot be valued highly enough.
A Reminder to Senior Saints
Ida Keeling set the world record in that race for one reason: she finished. If she had run 99 meters and stopped, her race would have been good, but her name would never be archived in the record book.
Many of you reading these words are older, and your minds or your bodies may not be what they once were. Strength may not be your strength!
But you are still strong in the faith, and we want to encourage you to keep pressing forward. Finish well.
Though you may not be able to do all you used to do, there are still vital roles for you to play in the church. Please, I beg you, do not just “turn things over to the young folks.” Be willing to share your wisdom. Take part in any ministry and work you possibly can. Use your time to encourage others. Ask the elders or a deacon if there is something you can do, even if it might take you a little while to finish it.
Conclusion
Our course as Christians is much longer than a 100-meter dash, but just like Ida’s race, it does have a finish line. As a body of believers, let us always encourage our senior saints to run to the end and continually be serving God. If you are a senior saint, never stop running. The church needs your wisdom, your work ethic, and your example each and every day.
“I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or His children begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
