Dub McClish
Growing older has its disadvantages (if you don’t believe me, just ask me how I know). Some wiseacre has quipped that it’s better than the alternative. However, for the faithful saint, the “alternative” will, in fact will be a far better alternative than living in this world. From experience I know that it’s hard to admit that elderhood has caught up with you. However, the all-too-frequent reminders of increasing limitations of such things as vision, hearing, and physical activities, though gradual, can’t be denied. As I have undeniably become a card-carrying member of geezer-hood, I find some of my emphases, attitudes, and behaviors changing about a variety of things. For example:
• The older I get the more I think of Heaven. Life on earth provides many rewarding experiences. There are times of exuberant joy and soul-satisfying happiness. There are wonderful, joy filled relationships with family and friends and with God’s people. But all these joys have one thing in common—their comparative brevity. The joy and bliss of Heaven will not be interrupted by the ravages of age, disease, trials, temptations, or death. That place will be one in which the claim, once saved-always saved, will absolutely prevail forever. At times I almost grow impatient to visit with the Lord and with such persons as Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Paul and with countless others, both of Biblical and post-Biblical times.
• The older I get the less I care for this world. At its best it is still an imperfect place and at its worst it is, except for the perpetual fire, a sample of Hell itself. The world entices through wealth, popularity, and self-indulgence, falsely promising to give happiness, fame, and pleasure in return. But whatever happiness derived from such things is temporary, and its pleasure and fame is jaded, at best. I grow increasingly weary of living among evil, blasphemous, dishonest people who live only for self. I thank God this world is not my home!
• The older I get the more I look forward to each meeting of the church. There may be some hypocrites in the assembly every time we meet. Even so, for the most part the people who assemble to worship God and His Son are the finest on earth. These times are exceedingly precious to me—times when I can take a special kind of shelter from the world’s evils and anxieties and get just a little taste of Heaven as I worship with my spiritual family. I can’t understand the attitude that claims fellowship with Christ but intentionally shuns the assemblies of His church. The Lord’s Day is always the best day of the week to me.
• The older I get the more I say, “I love you,” to family, friends, and brethren. I’ve discovered that this not only does others great good, but it gives me great joy.
