We have been talking about the fact that we are all under construction. The second we take our foot off the pedal, the moment we stop questing to learn more or even share what we know with others is the second we begin to stagnate. Last week we talked about how we all have a purpose that does not have an ending.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”
So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh. Exodus 7:1-7 NLT
Yes, this was a rather large section of scripture but the key here is the last two sentences; Moses was 80 and his brother, Aaron, was 83 years old. I have more years behind me than I do ahead and question if I have what it takes to be a spiritual leader or an effective rabbi (teacher). Do those in the younger demographics still look to us for direction or wisdom or are we supposed to fade off into the background? I read this and realized that we will never be ineffective unless we talk ourselves into it. Stagnation leads to degeneration which, in turn can lead to a spiritual death. If Moses had decided he was too old or not good enough to lead a nation, where would the faith be today? Read Exodus 4 again, Moses said that he was not good enough, not ready to lead yet God knew exactly what He was doing. We, as a society, need to not only check our ageism at the door but also seek out ways to engage those who are older (the grey hairs) as a resource for spiritual growth. When I hear those in the community describe their congregation as senior heavy, I rejoice because there is a ton of wisdom there and even more opportunity to mentor the next generation of spiritual leaders. We need to encourage our seniors to reach out to these generations and become the cheerleaders of future church mentors.
This week we look to some of the greatest leaders in scripture who started their ministry in their senior years. Youth should be encouraged and enabled but it is the seniors who must be the ones to set them free to minister and grow. We would love for you to join us either in person or online Sunday at 10:30 AM MST.
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We look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Todd
www.mainavefellowship.ca
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