What kind of old man do you want to be…?

Here’s the list from Gordon MacDonald’s book “The Life God Blesses.” I thought it was great!  We are told to spend so much time, energy, and money planning for our elder years.  How much time do we spend building the character qualities that we’d like to have by the time we reach them?  I’ve included many quotes from the book, and some comments of my own.
The kind of old man I want to be…
…is full of gratitude. “All of them are appreciative. Their conversation, their correspondence, and their responses to events are all marked by appreciation.
…is enthusiastically interested in the accomplishments of the younger generation. “They take delight in what they see their younger comrades able to accomplish.” Ouch!  Envy and criticism be gone!
…keeps his mind sharp and agile. “Unlike so many others, they have not stopped thinking, not ceased grasping for new ideas.”
…thinks in macro terms. “They look at life from the largest point of view, and they resist panic when sudden events grab the headlines and younger people are sure that the end of theme has arrived.”
…never retires. “They are called to the notion that life and vitality are in the act of adding value to the generations.”
…still loves his wife, deeply and romantically. “When they speak of their wives , they speak in noble tones, and each man does nothing but heap praise and appreciation on the one with whom he’s walked through the majority of life.”
…does not try to hold on to institutional power. “They do not try to control (or maintain control of) people.” (Italics mine.)  It is surprising to me to see the absence of any real strategic thinking concerning the transfer of leadership in churches, and the resultant panic when suddenly faced with the need to find a new pastor, or fill a leadership position in the ministry.  I hope as I reach my sunset years of life that I spend increasing amounts of time and energy simply hanging out with younger men and their families, encouraging them to stay strong in their faith and loyal in their commitments.  I hope I graciously and optimistically hand the reins of leadership to a younger man, rather than having those reins taken from my hands by others, or time itself.  I hope that my stepping down from a ministry position is not a cause of instability or panic for my church, but a gracious, joyful event following a lifetime of “giving away” ministry to the up and coming generation.
…knows how to pray, “…they have come to realize that there are no more vital moments than those in which they are in close contact with God.”  Wow!  Do we really plan to become more committed to prayer as we age, or simply assume we’re fine now, or will naturally increase in that area?
What a list! Let me ask you this….What kind of old man, or old woman, to you want to be?  Is there anything you’d add to the list?  Let me know your thoughts!
Ken

Exodus 22:21-24

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

As Israel began her journey to the Promised Land, the Lord provided her with His law.  It was to be their code for living as the people of God.  They were to live differently than the nations around them—in how they worshipped, ate, celebrated, and did business.  They were to treat people differently, with a gracious generosity and regard that historians tell us was by in large lacking in the surrounding cultures.  By being such a people, Israel would serve as a living witness to the gracious tenderhearted kindness of God.  This quality was to be particularly shown to those who were removed from the safety of family, or who had no home, or were simply away from their home.  A stranger was not to be treated wrongly or oppressed—simply because the Lord’s people themselves were once strangers in the land of Egypt, and had experienced horrible oppression at the hands of that land’s residents.  They were not to afflict any widow—a woman who, having left the safety of her own family for marriage, had lost her husband and now lived without social connected and protection.  They were also to see to it that they did not afflict the orphan.  An orphan is a child whose parents have either died, or (for whatever reason) no longer function as parents.  Israel was to show kindness, generosity, and concern for all of such people—all in a reverent regard for the deep, intense, personal concern that the Lord had for such marginalized souls.  Though forgotten by the surrounding cultures, no one of these were to be forgotten, mistreated, or disregarded by God’s people.  And just so they were clear on the importance of the issue—God reminded them that He Himself, personally, would take up their cause should they experience any mistreated from the people of God!

Today, we Christians are surrounded by those who have lost or left homes, are alone and unprotected, or are simply vulnerable and abandoned.  Our streets and fields are full of strangers:  some who are US citizens and some who are not.  Our neighborhoods are filled with widows: women who have suffered mistreatment and abandonment by lovers and boyfriends who refused to grow up to be husbands.  And our burgeoning foster-care system argues that we are surrounded by increasing numbers of children whose parents have abandoned their responsibility to nurture, protect, and raise their own babies.  Many of these are viewed with suspicion, and often find indifference and even outright hostility from the citizens of the richest, most powerful nation on the earth.  But regarding their treatment from the church of Jesus Christ, this must not be so.  We must be, and become, a people of increasing kindness and sacrificial generosity to those around us who are without home, family, and parents.  They are not bound to the dusty pages of our Bibles, wandering the paths of ancient cultures—they are here, today, among us, the people of God.  Let’s examine our excuses for failure in this area in light of the blazing, relevant truth that God cares very, very much about how we as His people treat those who live their lives on the edges of our culture.  Have we any right turn our backs?