Growing Old

I have been young, and now I am 67. And honestly, I find myself enjoying this season of life more than many of the earlier ones. When I was younger, I was driven. Not selfishly driven, but driven to accomplish things for ministry, for the Kingdom of God. I wanted to see impact. I wanted to get things done. If I am honest, I also wanted to control outcomes.

Age has brought clarity. Clarity about who I am. Clarity about my limitations. Clarity about what actually matters. I’ve come to accept that I cannot control outcomes. I can only seek to do what is right, with the right motives, and leave the results to God.

At 67, I still want to be productive and fruitful. But productivity now means doing what is important rather than doing everything. It means having the freedom to choose where I invest my time. Financial needs are fewer than before, and that brings a certain freedom.

For me, this stage is focused more intentionally on teaching, writing, mentoring, and coaching. It is less about building and expanding, and more about investing and strengthening.

Isaiah 46:4 has become precious to me: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he… I have made you and I will carry you.” God does not age. He sustains.

Psalm 92 says we can still bear fruit in old age. That resonates deeply. Fruitfulness is not limited to youth.

And 2 Corinthians reminds us that even if the outer self slows down, the inner self can still be renewed.

If youth is marked by ambition, perhaps later years are marked by clarity and surrender. And in that surrender, there is real freedom.