Your age doesn’t matter to God
If you’ve been listening to The Bible Speaks to You for very long, you know that I love to hear from you, my listeners, whether it’s a comment on a particular episode, a question about the Bible, or something you’d like me to talk about on an episode.
Last fall, Marsha wrote and asked me to talk about what the Bible says about overcoming the limitations we think we have or others think we have because of our age.
Marsha, this is a wonderful topic. The Bible has lots of stories of people who broke the age stereotypes for what could or couldn’t be done based on how young or old someone is. And before we jump into this, I would like to re-extend the invitation to everyone listening. If there’s a topic or a question you’d like me to cover in a future episode, please let me know, and I just might turn it into an episode. You can contact me here.
Okay Marsha, first of all, thanks for sending me this idea. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and it seems like the perfect time to look at what the Bible says about overcoming the limitations associated with age, whether too young or too old, and how this relates to us today.
Have you been judged by your age?
All too often what we can and cannot do gets judged by how old we are. We do it to ourselves and others. And others do it to us. Society as whole can be pretty stereotypical with what certain ages can and cannot, should and should not do.
Now, there are plenty of situations where this is appropriate. It’s not a good idea to let a 5 year old drive your car. And someone in their 80s or 90s is probably not going to try out for the Olympic Team for your country. Although, I must say, there are some amazing athletes in many sports who defy the limitations of what others would assume someone of advanced years could not do.
I’ve been thinking about what the Bible has to say about all this. Does how young or old someone is determine what they can or can’t do in fulfilling God’s purpose?
You age doesn’t matter to God
Actually there are lots examples where someone at a very young age or in their advanced years still was part of God’s plan. It didn’t matter to God how old they were. What was important was what was in their heart.
The first example I think of is Abraham and Sarah.
God had promised Abraham his descendants would be more numerous than he could imagine.
I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Genesis 22:17 NIV
And this promise continues to be fulfilled over several thousand years.
But the point I want to emphasize here is how old Abraham was when his son, Isaac, was born.
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Genesis 21:5 NIV
His wife Sarah was ninety. And she had not been able to have children up until that point.
Abraham and Sarah’s age doesn’t matter
The fact that Abraham and Sarah were 100 and 90 years old respectively, did not hinder God from carrying out His plan for them. Nor did it stop them from doing what was required of them.
As it turns out, Sarah lived quite a while after Isaac was born.
Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. Genesis 23:1 NIV
Just think of a 90 + year old woman becoming a mother for the first time. Her age did not stop her from relishing in all the joys of motherhood nor prevent her from her motherly duties and devotion.
If you do the math, Sarah had 37 years to be a mother to Isaac. God did not just give her a son. He gave her a full sense of motherhood even though she was well past the normal age of being a mother.
The same is true for Abraham. He lived to be 175 years old
Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Genesis 25:7 NIV
That means he was able to be a father to Isaac for 75 years. Abraham’s age did not prevent all the ways he blessed his son as his father.
What’s the lesson here for you and me?
There are lots of lessons, but the one that stands out to me right now is that how old you are has nothing to do with fulfilling God’s purpose for you and bringing it to completion.
Moses defied age limitations
Another example of someone who defied the limitations of old age was Moses.
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. Deuteronomy 34:7 NIV
Think about it. From the time he was 80 until age 120, he was the leader of over a million people, guiding them through the desert. This required immense physical stamina and spiritual fortitude. The years did not diminish his natural strength and abilities.
If this is possible for Moses, is there any reason it’s not possible for you and me? The lesson here is that Moses had a far reaching vision and sense of purpose, far greater than any personal agenda for his life. He knew he was doing God’s work. I believe that’s what kept him going and what kept him strong.
Living your life to carry out God’s bigger purpose, and not just what you want for yourself, empowers you and lengthens your days, days filled, not with decrepitude and decline, but with renewal, freshness, vigor, and purpose.
Caleb kept his strength in old age
And let’s not forget Caleb, who was one of the spies sent to scout out the land of Canaan.
Because Caleb was faithful to God, he didn’t perish during the 40 years the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness before returning to Canaan.
Caleb points this out to Joshua.
Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Joshua 14:10, 11 NIV
How many 85 year old soldiers in the Armed Services today are just as strong and ready to fight as they were when they were 40?
Caleb was faithful to God and that preserved him physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Caleb teaches us not to go along with what others are saying or doing if they’re not trusting God.
If it’s true for Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and Caleb, it’s true for you
There’s no reason God can’t preserve your strength and abilities today just as he did for Caleb. The problem is we usually don’t believe that’s possible today. And we let all kinds of other influences and fears into our lives that dilute our complete trust and reliance on God.
Let’s look at the other end of the age spectrum.
What about being too young?
Did you ever get told you weren’t old enough to do a certain thing?
This is where I think about Samuel.
As a very young boy he was taken by his mother to serve in the House of the Lord with Eli the priest. At some point, while still quite young, we don’t know exactly, God called to him.
Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 1 Samuel 3:4, 5 NIV
This happened two more times and finally Eli realized it was God calling the boy. He told Samuel
So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 1 Samuel 3:9 NIV
God had a purpose for Samuel at a young age
And that’s exactly what Samuel did. God spoke to him and revealed what would happen to Eli’s disobedient sons.
The result of all this is that the people recognized Samuel as a prophet from an early age
The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 1 Samuel 3:19, 20 NIV
Samuel’s youth did not stop God from talking to him. Eli the priest’s years of experience did not qualify him to hear God’s voice directly. It was the purity of Samuel’s heart that heard God’s voice, regardless of his age.
God can use anyone, no matter how young or old, to carry out His purpose.
David wasn’t old enough to be in the army
Think of David, who was not old enough to join King Saul’s army (you had to be 20). He was still a teenager when Samuel came to anoint him as the new King to replace Saul. David had not been taught leaderships skills. He had not been instructed in all the things a king should know, but his heart was right with God. And that’s something God could work with.
David’s son Solomon became king probably in his early 20s. Unlike his father, Solomon grew up as the son of a king. But he didn’t know he would be king. And like his father, there was a sense of humility, at least in his early years as king. Solomon said to God,
“Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 1 Kings 3:7-10 NIV
And God granted him not only wisdom but wealth and honor as well, not because of his vast experience, but because he turned to God for help instead of relying on his own abilities or taking the advice of others.
Age doesn’t matter to God in the New Testament either
Let’s look at some examples in the New Testament where age, young or old, is irrelevant to God working out His purposes through people.
The story of Zacharias and Elisabeth is very similar to the story of Abraham and Sarah. They were elderly, and had no children. Not only was Elisabeth way beyond the years of child bearing, she had been barren on top of that.
But the angel Gabriel announced they would have a son. In God’s eyes they were not too old to be parents. Their age did not prevent them from being used by God for a very important part of His plan. Their child would grow up to be known as John the Baptist who would prepare the way for Jesus. You can find this story in Luke, Chapter 1.
Think about how this story might apply to you or someone you’re praying for. Does it ever seem you or someone else is too old for a particular role? There’s certainly room for some practical wisdom here, but all too often thinking you’re too old to give birth to a new career, a new project, or a new start in life is more about the limitations we have accepted for ourselves or someone else.
Mary was very young
Think about Mary the mother of Jesus. I’ve heard people say she was anywhere from 14 years old to her early 20s. There’s nothing in the Bible that gives us any indication of her exact age. But we do know she was a young woman, certainly compared to Elizabeth, and had never been married.
The point is, she didn’t have any special school where she studied for years on how to be the mother of Jesus. It wasn’t her age that qualified her for this role. It was her purity of heart and faithfulness to God.
Maybe the best example of all time that shows age to be irrelevant to fulfilling God’s purpose for you is Jesus himself.
Jesus’s age was irrelevant to him being the Messiah, even as a baby
Even as an infant, Jesus was able to invoke awe and inspiration, not because of anything he said or did, but just because of who he was, the Messiah.
The shepherds who came to see him lying in a manger knew he was the Christ, as did the Wisemen. The same goes for Simeon and Anna who saw him in the Temple at Jerusalem. Think of little baby Jesus, doing nothing more than smiling or making cute little baby noises, inspiring and giving hope to all these people because they recognized who he was. It didn’t matter to Simeon that Jesus was a baby. God revealed to him, and Simeon trusted it as true, that this baby was the Christ. That gave Simeon hope and peace.
I can only imagine what it would have been like to look into little baby Jesus’s eyes and see him looking back with tenderness and love. In fact, I feel loved just thinking about that.
In light of this, think about what Jesus said of little children. His disciples asked him one time,
“Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4 NIV
Jesus saw the purposefulness of little children
And in the next chapter he re-emphasized this point.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 NIV
This reminds me of the verse from
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength, Psalm 8:2 NKJV
Jesus wasn’t talking about the age of these kids. He was talking about the qualities in their thoughts, their purity, their innocence, and their joy.
Anyone, of any age, can express these same qualities that Jesus cherished. It has nothing to do with how old you are.
Jesus in the temple
And what about Jesus at 12 years old when he was asking and answering question in the Temple in Jerusalem. He was dancing circles around the learned Jewish scholars and theologians.
Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:47 NIV
They were amazed that a 12 year old could come up with such things to say. Jesus was the Messiah from the moment he was conceived in Mary’s womb. Age didn’t change or enhance that fact.
Your age doesn’t matter to God
Age does not change God’s purpose for you. You may grasp more of your God-given purpose as you grow older, but the clearer vision comes from other factors, such as your desire to know and do God’s will, your humility, your love, and your willingness to learn from your mistakes, and from how others treat you with love.
Age is, in many ways, a mindset. There’s a famous quote attributed to lots of different people: How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
I checked this out on QuoteInvestigator.com.
In 1927 a preacher, the Reverend Clarence H. Wilson, said in a sermon to the Flatbush Congregational Church in Brooklyn, NY,
“We make ourselves old by keeping tally of the years. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? Properly, a man is as old as he feels.”
I find it fascinating that a preacher shared this insight with his congregation in a sermon almost 100 years ago. He may or may not have originated the saying. But it’s the very thing I’ve been talking about today, that your age, however small or large the number is, does not stop you from being a child of God, capable of doing what God has in store for you to accomplish.
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
How old do you think you are?
It’s one of those questions that’s fun to ponder. How many times you’ve traveled around the sun does not determine your worth, your abilities, your morals, how you live and how you love, unless you think it does.
Granted, sometimes more trips around the sun teach important lessons and we mature as we go and grow. But your growth and progress as a child of God, as I said, usually has to do with factors unrelated to your age.
If you’ve ever experienced people judging by how young or old you are, the best place to bring a change is in how you see yourself.
I heard years ago of an elderly fellow with a very keen sense of his spiritual identity, who was asked how old he was. His simple reply: That’s none of my business.
Okay, so you have to fill out forms with your date of birth, but that is not part of your spiritual identity.
Your life is eternal, not an age
The Bible talks a lot about life being eternal. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We think eternity is later, but it’s actually right now. Right now you have eternal life. You can’t measure how many years fit into eternity. Eternity is not an infinite number of years. It’s the absence of time altogether.
If you want to overcome the limitations associated with the passing of years or not enough passed years, get a glimpse of yourself as you are right now in this kingdom of heaven at hand Jesus is talking about.
Think about the qualities Jesus appreciated in little children. This is what’s true about you right now in the kingdom of heaven. Live and love those qualities in your life every day
The more you glimpse your spiritual identity as an eternal, timeless child of God, the fewer limitations you will accept about yourself related to how old the world says you are. What the world calls your age, doesn’t matter to God. It doesn’t change how He sees and loves you or how He empowers you to fulfill your purpose.
Photo credit: Ekaterina Shakharova
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and church mentor. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
Genesis 22:17 NIV
17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.
Genesis 21:5 NIV
5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Genesis 23:1 NIV
1 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old.
Genesis 25:7 NIV
7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.
Deuteronomy 34:7 NIV
7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.
Joshua 14:10, 11 NIV
10 Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!
11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.
1 Samuel 3:4, 5 NIV
4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
1 Samuel 3:9 NIV
9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1 Samuel 3:19, 20 NIV
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD.
1 Kings 3:7-10 NIV
7 Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
Matthew 18:1-4 NIV
1 “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.
3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:14 NIV
14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Psalm 8:2 NKJV
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Luke 2:47 NIV
47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
