February 17
Second Half Life Traps
But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. –Acts 20:24, nlt
If you missed yesterday’s reading and are under 50, I’d suggest you read it as it gives my thoughts on “traps” to be aware of in the first three adult decades of life (20s, 30s, 40s). And whether or not you are a “man of a certain age,” I’d encourage you to read today’s reading too.
50s – I enjoyed my 50s because it was the decade where I survived my mini midlife crisis without doing anything terribly stupid or destructive. God knows I did plenty wrong, but by His mercy, my life is still on course. The best thing about the 50s is that you have enough life experience to know your strengths and weaknesses. The trap is to keep doing things we aren’t good at, which only leads to disillusionment and frustration. (More on this in a later reading.) If you are unhappy in your job, don’t stay stuck. If your marriage has stagnated, don’t give up on it. Get the help that you and your spouse need to set things right. The enemy wants to convince us that all the boats have sailed and that life’s best opportunities have passed us by. Reject that lie.
By the time we reach “half time” in life, we have a pretty big suitcase of regrets and trauma, which gives Satan plenty of material to use against us. Don’t let him. We constantly need to remind ourselves that we are God’s children, and our identity is secure by His blood and in His victory.
60s – Though I’ve just entered my sixties, I’m going to tell you a secret: I love being this age. Why? First, because I’m still on this side of Earth’s dirt (and thankful for each new day). And second, I finally feel completely comfortable in my own skin. In the first half of life we build our lives—career, family, income, etc. And then, in the second half, we surrender a lot of what we built to God. Ego. Status. Reputation. Finances. It’s in that “letting go” process that I’ve personally found the greatest joy.
70s and Beyond – Though I don’t personally know what my 70s will bring, I know enough older God’s men to get a taste of what it’s like. Yes, health stuff can start to arise, but emotionally and spiritually, those men who allowed God to use their “crucifixion” in order to experience “resurrection” in their earlier decades are new reaping the rewards. They are some of the most energized, joyful, and productive Kingdom men I know!
It’s never too late to make a U-turn in your life, brother. I don’t care if you are 22 or 92, God allows spiritual do-overs. No, we can’t erase the past or make it go away. All the decisions we made across all the decades have left emotional and physical impressions upon this earth. But we can decide to once and for all surrender completely to Him. When we think about it, what other choice do we have? And when we do it, we realize it’s the greatest choice we had left to make.
Father, thank You for each decade of life and what it brings. Help me fall deeper in love with You so that when I reach my next “Zero” birthday (40, 50, etc.), I can look back and know that I left it all on the field for You.