You may have just destroyed your first AARP card notification.
Or you may be a boomer turning 65 who’s admitting
for the first time that you are over 50. So now that you’ve reached this unforgiveable milestone, what’s next? Welcome to the Worlds of 50+!
If you’ve been living in a 50+ Dream World up to now, it’s about to pop. My suggestion is to let it go. Give up on the fifty-foot yacht and the fifty-foot put. Chances are they are not going to happen anyway, and even if they did, they wouldn’t make you sleep better. It’s time to get real about aging while you still have time.
Welcome to the 50+ World of Christ-followers. At first glance it may look a lot like that other world, but trust me, it is as different as day is to night. It’s costly, but it’s worth it. I’ve thrown pretty much everything into it myself, but no regrets. It turns out that it is the most fulfilling kind of life ever!
My idea of aging is couched in my faith in Jesus Christ. Hard times or good, the best of times are always in the moment and just ahead of me. Today and tomorrow, He promises and I believe. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. This 50+ kind of life is so … eternal! Which means, as a Christ-follower, I’m not winding down. I’m just getting started. Jesus says that he is the “Vine” and I’m a “branch.” In vineyards, young vines may produce twice as many wine grapes, but older vines offer a grape that is richer, more sought after in flavor. Think about it when you worry that your “production rate” falling off with age. Less can still be more in the end.
There is a danger that the World of 50+ Christ-followers can easily get lost in that “other world.” What does that world (or even the Church) expect of you? Maybe NOTHING. Not now. You are too busy. Too old to make a difference. Too stuck in a rut. But not forever, right? One day you tell yourself that you’ll be free. Retired. Ready to play, travel, really live! Yet there is so much that is wrong with the world—things you don’t like. What if after a certain age the world is just a big disappointment? By the time you figure it out, you may already have missed the best of the World of 50+ Christ-followers.
Meanwhile, Jesus has this great idea: “make disciples of all nations.” It was such a great idea that he turned it into a command for his followers: “GO … make disciples of all nations.” Jesus sees a world out there. What does that world mean to you? How often do you think of things or people outside your home? your church? your town? It depends on which of two worlds you are living in.
So, here’s your assignment. Think of an idea that will change the world—and put it into action. Imagine investing your time, talent and treasures in a few of your Dream World peers and in those following after you among the generations. Imagine the change you can make … the influence for Jesus you can be … and the lives of your family and friends who will embrace eternity with delight because of your influence. Imagine living the best half of your life like this. Jesus is pulling for you.
Welcome to the World of 50+ Christ-followers!
