“As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”
How easy it is to grow lazy and complacent as we grow older! We’ve walked with the Lord for decades. We’ve given our lives to Christ and served Him, perhaps even in ministry. Yet, as we age, we neglect the disciplines of our early passion for Him. We may continue to avoid sins of commission, but become guilty of the sins of omission.
Like Solomon chasing after yet another wife, we may find ourself chasing after the latest issue, the latest gadget, or perhaps the latest cure for the maladies of age. We ignore or rebel against the reality that our time to prepare our hearts for an eternity of worshipping God is drawing shorter. Our most pressing need is not physical healing, technology, or social progress but spiritual nourishment.
What a tragedy to live many years in faithful relationship with God, only to rebel and leave that legacy to our children. God graciously spared Solomon the consequences of his idolatry, yet perhaps even more crushing is the idea that his son would suffer for his rebellion. What a warning to us that the consequences of sin often hurt those we love even more than they impact us.
Yet I have friends who have Invested their golden years In the lives of others, the least of these. Some live in a single concrete room, sleep in hammocks where guards ensure their safety from wandering lions, and cook using the power of the sun. Others continue to serve as pastors, missionaries, music ministers, and deacons long after their peers have retired on the golf course. The point isn't where we serve or how we serve, simply that we continue pursuing God's plan for our lives until we draw our last breath.
How easy it is to grow lazy and complacent as we grow older! We’ve walked with the Lord for decades. We’ve given our lives to Christ and served Him, perhaps even in ministry. Yet, as we age, we neglect the disciplines of our early passion for Him. We may continue to avoid sins of commission, but become guilty of the sins of omission.
Like Solomon chasing after yet another wife, we may find ourself chasing after the latest issue, the latest gadget, or perhaps the latest cure for the maladies of age. We ignore or rebel against the reality that our time to prepare our hearts for an eternity of worshipping God is drawing shorter. Our most pressing need is not physical healing, technology, or social progress but spiritual nourishment.
What a tragedy to live many years in faithful relationship with God, only to rebel and leave that legacy to our children. God graciously spared Solomon the consequences of his idolatry, yet perhaps even more crushing is the idea that his son would suffer for his rebellion. What a warning to us that the consequences of sin often hurt those we love even more than they impact us.
Yet I have friends who have Invested their golden years In the lives of others, the least of these. Some live in a single concrete room, sleep in hammocks where guards ensure their safety from wandering lions, and cook using the power of the sun. Others continue to serve as pastors, missionaries, music ministers, and deacons long after their peers have retired on the golf course. The point isn't where we serve or how we serve, simply that we continue pursuing God's plan for our lives until we draw our last breath.
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