Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
(1 Peter 5:1-4, NASB)
We live in a society that worships youth. And we spend a lot of money trying to look as young as possible. We’re bombarded with ads about miracle lotions that tighten skin, makeup that erases wrinkles, dyes that cover gray … And don’t get me started about plastic surgery. Have you heard about the young starlet who’s already had several surgeries—and she’s only 23 or so? It’s nuts!
I have to admit, I use some products that supposedly camouflage some signs of aging, and I did try to hide the gray for a while. I mean, we all should want to care for our earthly "temples," right? (Why does that sound like I'm trying to justify the creams and potions in my medicine cabinet?!)
Of course, some aspects of growing older kind of … well, suck! Aches and pains. Short-term memory problems. Keeping reading glasses throughout my house so I can see …
But the Bible reminds us that being older is a blessing. We who are older should be eager examples to those younger than we are. God has given us stories to tell, wisdom to share, shoulders to offer.
We’re given the privilege of mentoring, teaching, modeling. But that privilege requires our being true examples of our Lord. As I’ve written many times, we need to be grounded in faith. We need to know God’s word.
Then we can be “shepherds” to those younger than we—either in age or in faith. Are you prepared to shepherd well?
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