Our senior years can be viewed as a pleasantly useless era when we qualify for retirement benefits, senior discounts, and have a lot of free time to do nothing. Or we can see them as a time of great opportunity to be used for God. There's so much left to do.

We can serve as mentors, teaching wisdom and virtue. Seniors can point to the ancient paths of holy living and encourage young believers to walk in them (Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 6:16).

There is power in the example of an ordinary life lived with an awareness of God's presence—seeing Him in everything and doing all things for Him. This is the mark of the mature soul, quietly and humbly going about ordinary tasks, living in joy, and leaving behind the fragrance of Jesus' love.

Even if our journey leads to illness and weakness, and we're confined to our homes and then to our beds, our years of fruitful service need not be over. We can still pray. Prayer is one of the special privileges of infirmity, and in the end may be its greatest benefit.

Above all else, we can love. Love remains our last and best gift to God and to others.

Mentoring, being a godly example, praying, and loving. These are the opportunities of growing old with God.  —DHR  — David H. Roper