Old doesn’t mean fear of change
Just had lunch with a pastor who was is a retired special forces commander and just meeting with him eating some fantastic Korean food with chopsticks convinced me of something: Resistance to change is not a God thing. Here is a man of God not giving up, striving to change and fight for what God wants! I want to do that too! It may be natural it may be human, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. Getting old doesn’t mean you hang up your guns and never fight again. I get that we want to have some things normalized as we mature through life. We’d like to have more constants in our life. That’s normal even as a child. Our children grow best when there are constants around them and stability. Here’s the thing God has called into the process of sanctification which is all about change.
I was reminded of Joshua who at the age of 40 scouted out the promised land that God was going to give to the people of God. In Chapter 14 he remembers that time with vivid clarity even though he is now 85. Check out the story and I’ll tell you something powerful thought to wrap it up.
Joshua 14 6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’ [a]10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”
Joshua was just as vigorous to go out and chase God’s vision at 85 as he was at 40. His faith had not subsided. He didn’t say, no thanks I’m just going to retire. He didn’t say, no it’s time for the young ones to do it now and let me sit back and watch. He didn’t say, I’ll be glad to tell you what to do, but I’m not fighting. He didn’t say, I’m happy with where I am now. I chased after it and I’m now at a place where I want to stay. No, he said, “Give me this hill country that the Lord promised…. the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Joshua had a faith and passion for God at 85 that I wish I had every day. My prayer is, “Lord, make me that 85 year old today who will fight with you and not the 38 year old who at times wants to pick the wrong fights or at times run from the fights he is afraid of.”
