Post was updated 9th June 2018.
I am in a contemplative mood.
I am also at that age where I am starting to attend more wakes and funerals rather than weddings. And I am seeing my parents ageing and manifesting “old people issues”. It makes me wonder – If the Lord tarries and He allows me to grow older, will I have these “old people issues” too?
Is it something that all old people have and/or do when they are of a “certain” age? My peers, too, have observed these issues manifesting in their parents too.
What are these “old people issues”?
They …
- have a woe-is-me-no-one-loves-me mentality.
- become increasingly illogical.
- become increasingly stubborn.
- would rather listen to their equally elderly friend or relative’s advice than ours.
- insist on doing things the old way even though it takes longer and is more complicated, leading to more mistakes.
I could go on. But you get the drift.
But not all are afflicted with it
However, I also encounter elderly people who are not like that and are instead cheerful, pleasant to be with and radiate the love of Christ. They are, however, a rare breed.
A purposeful life makes the difference
As I watch and observe, I think the difference is this:
The latter group live a life of purpose and are actively engaged in the community they are in.
They do not withdraw and isolate themselves.
Instead of choosing to withdraw, thinking that they are now old and useless, they participate wholeheartedly in community life. They do not wait to be asked to contribute. Instead, they volunteer in whatever way they can. And they get involved in the lives of those around them.
I want to be like them, God willing, when I am old.
But how?
For those who don’t know, my husband is the founder of Archippus Awakening, a ministry dedicated to the awakening of saints to know and fulfil their God-given kingdom assignments. And the ministry’s verse is from Colossians 4:17.
“And say to Archippus,
“Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord,
that you may fulfill it.”
And I believe that in order to live a purposeful life and not while it away with shopping and mindless surfing of the Net, we need to first know what the Lord has called us to and then to spend our lives fulfilling it to the best of our ability.
The call on our lives need not be this huge thing.
- Save the world!
- Preach the gospel to thousands!
- Give up everything and be a missionary in a faraway land!
You could. But that is not the point.
The call on our lives could be as simple as just showing love to those in need. Such as babysitting a neighbour’s child so that she can bring her elderly mother to the doctor; cooking and bringing food to a new mother; volunteering to tutor a child who is weak in academics; and so on.
Mom in the trenches
You too, mom in the trenches are also called by the Lord. Even if you think you are just changing diapers and breaking up fights between the siblings, reminding children to eat with their faces over their bowls. God gave these children to you to raise for Him and His Kingdom. You are serving the Lord!
Redeem the Time
A recent devotion from the Book of Ephesians (which I was doing as part of the SIMPLE START JOURNAL), reminded me again to redeem the time for the days are evil. And with piece after piece of bad news in the media lately, one cannot help but conclude that we are truly in the last days. Are we ready to meet our Lord?
See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise,
redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Let us not waste our time here on earth with meaningless and fruitless activities. And in the process, descend into depression and a woe-is-me mentality. Instead, let us live with a purpose – fulfilling the ministry which the Lord has placed on each of our lives.
Then, we can stand before the Lord on that day and hear Him say,
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things,
I will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord.’”
Matthew 25:21
Resources for You
If you or someone you know is keen to find out more about aligning yourself to God’s will, especially in these last days, here are some resources to help you process and find your calling in the Lord.
1. Say to Archippus
This book is the sounding of a clarion call for all to be awakened, aligned and assigned. To aid the reader in his/her own processing, questions have been added after each chapter for personal reflection or discussion at a group level. Buy it here: Say To Archippus.
2. Alignment Check
ALIGNMENT CHECK is a practical follow-on volume of Say To Archippus. It is for those who have been awakened with the desire to be aligned and to discover kingdom assignments. Written as a handy guide for personal or group processing, it revisits fundamentals, challenges the status quo, and provokes all to examine the very core of what we claim to believe.
More details can be found at ALIGNMENT CHECK.
3. Awakened, Aligned, Assigned Seminars & Retreats
On a regular basis, our ministry, Archippus Awakening holds seminars and retreats to help awakened saints realign themselves to the Lord so as to fulfil the assignments the Lord has placed on their lives. Get updates from our ministry by signing up at this link.
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