What Are Your Plans?

At Cardiac Therapy today, I was asked, “What are your plans for the new year?”. Without thinking, I answered, “To live.” I was immediately ashamed of my answer and later tried to correct it.

My goal is not just “to live.” There is much more to life for a Christian than to merely live.

My wife and I are in our mid-eighties. We still live in our own home and take care of all the regular duties of food preparation, housekeeping, laundry, and yard work. We still drive. Looking around, we see many in our age group who cannot care for themselves. If they still live at home, they hire someone to clean the house, prepare meals, and run errands. Many are in a hospital, a nursing home, or in an Alzheimer’s unit.

We have so very much to be thankful for! Everything we have is because of His grace. Spending a lot of time working on personal health and doctor appointments is necessary. But that is a small percentage of our time.

For us and Christians of any age, our goal should be like Paul’s in Philippians 1:21. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul wrote this while in prison with the possibility of beheading.

Later, in the same book (Philippians 3:10), he said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” He still had a desire to grow in his knowledge and his experience with the Lord. He went on to say, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” God wasn’t done with Paul yet – and He’s not done with you or me. Until the Lord takes us home, we have not finished His mission for us.

Moses was 80 when God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. Joshua was probably over 80 when God commissioned him to take over after Moses’ death. Caleb was about 85 when he boldly asked for the difficult job, “Give me this mountain!” (Joshua 14:11-12).

The apostles did not live long. According to tradition, they all (except for John) died a martyr’s death before reaching old age. Tradition says that the apostle John was sentenced to death in a pot of burning oil. He survived that but was exiled to Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. John died as an old man after A.D. 98, probably at Ephesus. Whether living a long or short life, they all remained faithful until death.

What can you do for the Lord if you are up in age? If you are able-bodied, don’t fall for Satan’s trap of settling down in the recliner watching TV.

Senior citizens who can drive can visit hospitals, nursing homes, the homebound, and others in need. We can attend church at least on Sunday mornings (and evenings if you can see well enough to drive at night). Go to church not just to hear the music, preaching, and teaching. Go to fellowship and speak words of encouragement to other senior saints.

Because of lung and heart problems, I have been sidelined from teaching and preaching. But in retirement, God has given me the ministry of writing.

Homebound senior saints can make phone calls to encourage others.

Perhaps, most importantly, you can have a ministry of prayerful intercession. You can pray for the sick, the homebound, hospital, and nursing home patients. You can pray for your pastor and staff, church officers, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, choir members, orchestra members, pianists and organists, and everyone in the church. Sometimes, the ministry of prayer is minimized in importance, but Jesus considers it essential.

You can pray for lost souls, for missionaries, and all Christian workers. You can give to missions.

You can pray for those in authority and for your nation. In these troublesome times, this is super urgent. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

If you are younger and able-bodied, you can do all the above activities and much more. If you are unsure of what to do, ask your pastor. He can probably give you a list of the services needed.

I believe God is always looking for Christians who will commit themselves first to Christ and then to service. Jesus said, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am there shall also my servant be:  If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.” (John 12:26).

All Christians are to take responsibility for fulfilling the Great Commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20).

What are you doing for your part in the Great Commission? Let’s decide to go forward in 2025 doing His work, in His way, and in His power.