0 - 60 Eventually

I don’t know whether you take any notice of car stickers – they can be amusing enough at times – “Midwives help people out” was one which made me smile; “Mother-in-law in boot” was another.

One which I haven’t seen for a while, but which used to be seen fairly regularly on old bangers was “0 to 60 eventually!” Of course, no self-respecting young driver would have such a sticker on his car. But it seems to me that this may be something of a motto which I would take for my own desires now – not with reference to my VW golf which I drive, but to my Christian life.

Let me explain. When I first became a Christian I came accross the assumption that young believers should be willing to give all, and really commit themselves. They should be willing to sacrifice in the full flush of their first love. Then as you got older, you would cool down, and maybe not be quite as extreme, not quite as willing to sacrifice. You could be a bit more sober and let others do the sacrificing.

Now I don’t deny that when you are young you have opportunities and energy which some older people don’t have. But when I look at Scripture I don’t see any justification for cooling down. As a matter of fact it seems that the reverse should be true.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mathew 10:22)
He will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8)
For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:14)
The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, (Revelation 2:26)

It is not starting well that counts, but finishing well. There seems to be nowhere in Scripture where old age is an excuse for cooling down our commitment to the gospel. There is a danger indeed in youth of rash decisions, and of taking leaps of faith without considering whether the leap is justified. But there is another danger as we grow older, to think that it is now time for others to leap while we gently slip into retirement.

I have been convinced that I should love my Lord more deeply now, with greater understanding than ever before. He has never let me down, and his grace has become more precious to me as I receive it daily. Therefore I now consider that He has more right to call me out of my comfort zone, into his will whatever that might be.

This year I will reach 55 God willing. There is a deep desire to give myself more to Him than ever before. Whatever I have done up to now has been so little. When I gave up my desired career to serve Him, it was no real sacrifice. I will not talk of what things I have done – they are not worthy of mention. But when He calls me to follow, I wish to go – more than ever before – nought to sixty eventually; always speeding up; always allowing Him to be master.

“So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.” (Psalm 71:18)

There is a verse in Scripture which says “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” (Job 42:12) I pray that this may be true of this Job as well.