Even To Old Age & Gray Hairs...

From my youth until now in my fifties I have sought to serve the Lord Christ, - very imperfectly, partially and incompletely, but with commitment that has been renewed again and again. Now, for the remainder of my life - how ever many years the Lord grants me -  I will hold to this promise which I read last night.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.

(Psalm 71:17-18 ESV)

God is faithful, People! He does not fail us or forsake us! I can testify!

And I do hope the application of a little "Grecian Formula" to my numerous gray hairs does not negate this promise!

Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals

From a Christianity Today interview, here's Christian elder statesman Billy Graham on aging, his regrets, and the future for Evangelicals.

1. What advice would you give to people who are aging?
First, accept it as part of God’s plan for your life, and thank him every day for the gift of that day. We’ve come to look on old age as something to be dreaded—and it’s true that it isn’t easy…

2. What would you say to children who have aging parents?
When we’re young we usually don’t think much about growing old, or about our parents growing old either—not until something forces us to think about it. But it will happen, if they live long enough. So the first thing I’d say to those whose parents are growing older is to be prepared for it, and to accept whatever responsibilities it brings you…

3. If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?
Yes, of course. I’d spend more time at home with my family, and I’d study more and preach less. I wouldn’t have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of the things I did over the years that I probably didn’t really need to do—weddings and funerals and building dedications, things like that. Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything.

I also would have steered clear of politics…

4. What are the most important issues facing evangelicals today?
But the most important issue we face today is the same the church has faced in every century: Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we give priority to Christ’s command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our own internal affairs or controversies, or simply becoming more and more comfortable with the status quo? Will we become inner-directed or outer-directed? The central issues of our time aren’t economic or political or social, important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ’s forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this. read entire Q&A

Hat Tip: An Aged Billy Graham on Aging, Regrets, and Evangelicals