When You Feel Too Old to Be Used by God

Jim Annis, who lives in Sanford, North Carolina, isn't

spending his retirement just sitting in a recliner or playing

golf. Instead, he's covered in sawdust. All year long, he

collects wood scraps from his neighbors and spends his own

limited income to buy materials. Then he gets to work, spending

countless hours building hundreds of homemade wooden cars,

tractors, and fire trucks. At an age where society tells you to

step aside and take it easy and let the younger generations do

the heavy lifting, Jim is putting in some pretty serious

labor. What motivates an 80-year-old man to spend his

retirement years working tirelessly in a dusty garage

instead of thinking his time for productivity is over?

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and

today we're talking about finding God's purpose for every

season of your life, especially in our later years. Moving into

retirement and watching younger generations take over can leave

older believers feeling sidelined. But God never puts

his children on a shelf. Psalm 92 14 says this about those who

are in their later years. they will still produce fruit. They

will remain vital and green. Our culture implicitly and sometimes

explicitly tells us that our value is tied to our youth and

what we can provide to society in our declining years. So when

retirement comes, or when our bodies start to slow down, the

message we quietly absorb is that our best days of being

useful are behind us. We're told to step aside and take it easy.

Or just pass the baton on to the younger crowd and let them take

over. But that's not how the kingdom of God operates. In

God's age doesn't disqualify you from continuing to give and

serve. Think about the heroes of the faith. Moses was 80 years

old when he stood before Pharaoh and led the Israelites out of

Egypt. Caleb was 85 when he looked at the promised land and

said, Give me my mountain. He was still ready to fight the

giants. Anna was an elderly widow who spent her later years

serving day and night in the temple. And because she was

faithful in her old age, she was one of the first people on earth

to look into the face of the infant Messiah. God doesn't

retire his people. The calling on your life doesn't come with

an expiration date. Now, your assignment might change. And how

you serve will look differently, probably, at 75 than it did at

35. But your purpose on this earth doesn't end. In fact,

older believers possess something the younger generation

desperately needs. That's wisdom forged through decades of

walking with God. You have survived storms. You've seen

God's track record of faithfulness in ways a

25-year-old simply hasn't lived long enough to see. You know how

to pray and how to listen. You know what actually matters in

the long run. Jim Annis remembers exactly what it was

like to grow up poor with a father who couldn't afford to

buy Christmas gifts. He decided that his later years weren't

meant for just passing time. They were meant for giving back.

Every single Christmas, he donates around 300 of these

beautiful handmade toys to the Salvation Army to be given to

children in need. When reporters asked him why he worked so hard

at his age, he simply said his pay is knowing a child is

smiling. You're never too old to be used by God. Retiring from

your career doesn't mean you retire from your calling.

Whether it's sharing decades of wisdom or offering a listening

ear or, like Jim, building wooden fire trucks for kids who

need them, your later years can be some of your most fruitful.

Maybe you're listening to this today and you're feeling a

little sidelined. Your kids are grown and your career is behind

you. And your energy isn't what it used to be. So it's easy to

feel like you don't have much to offer anymore. But God says you

can still produce fruit. You can still be vital and green. Don't

let culture tell you that you're done. Your prayers are powerful

and your encouragement can change the trajectory of an

exhausted young parent's week. Your wisdom is a treasure.

Here's today's challenge. If you are in those later seasons of

life, ask God today, Lord, what is my assignment in this season?

Then find one way to pour out what God has poured into you.

Text a younger believer to encourage them. Or commit to

praying for your church's leadership daily. Or you might

find a way to serve using your unique gifts and talents. and if

you are in a younger season of life, your challenge is this. Go

find an older saint this week and ask them, Can you share some

of your wisdom with me? Validate their experience and learn from

their miles on the road. Lord, thank you that your kingdom

values every season of life. For the older believers listening

right now who feel forgotten or sidelined, remind them that they

are still vital and green in your eyes. Stir up a fresh

purpose in their hearts. Help us all to remember that we never

retire from our calling to love you and serve others. Let us

bear fruit all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name, amen. If

this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend or

loved one who might be feeling like their best years are behind

them. Just copy the link in the show notes and send it their way.

Thanks for joining me on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

Remember, God never puts his children on a shelf. You're

never too old to be used by him. Come back next time for more

encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth. Until

then, God bless and have a great day.