Chapter-a-Day Genesis 17
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” Genesis 17:17 (NIV)
When I was a young man, I memorized and clung to this line from Paul’s letter to his young protege Timothy:
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
I figured that if God had given me spiritual gifts like everyone else, then I was totally going to use those gifts and be of service. I wanted to make a difference. I tried to instill that same spirit in my daughters in their youth, and continue to get jazzed when I see young people with a passion for God actively living out their faith.
Today, I’m at a different place in the journey. If averages and genetics hold sway, you could say that I’m still in mid-life. Nevertheless, I can’t deny the fact that I’m likely on the downhill side. Instead of not letting others think less of me because I’m young, I sometimes feel the need not to let others think less of me because I’m old. As technology advances at breakneck speeds, I wonder if the gulf between generations is expanding and making it easier for in the back stretch and making the final turn to feel irrelevant and lost.
I think that it’s awesome that God made such a huge play in Abram’s life right when Abram was turning 100 and Sarai was in her nineties. God willing, I want the last half of my life to be more productive than the first. I want to live with purpose and witness God doing big things in and through my life when I’m old. I don’t want to stagger and limp to the finish. God grant that I finish strong. I want to be kicking it in to a full sprint when I hit the home stretch and find myself heading for the tape.
You go, Abe.
Related articles
- God: the name changer (dailymedit.wordpress.com)
- Let.It.Go. Session Two (carlagpollard.com)
- A faithful man’s lack of faith (justtammie.com)
- Daily Bible walk: Day 11 (ispygod.net)
Wayfarer 
I’m with you, my desire is to finish strong. I affectionately call my year in Bahrain (Jul 08-Jul09) halftime. 3 1/2 years later I would say so far my “point total” is looking up…
LikeLike
That’s awesome, Kyle. I love the “half-time” concept! I haven’t said it before, but I’m really glad you’ve joined in the journey here. It’s been cool to have you along!
LikeLike