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Decades past, I had a conversation with a lawyer litigating a wrongful death lawsuit of an elderly man. He told me that the opposing counsel, trying to limit the financial settlement, had said . . .
He was an older man; his life expectancy was only a few years!
To which my lawyer friend responded . . .
Have you ever enjoyed an ice cream cone and come to the last few licks of the cone? These are the most enjoyable.
I don’t know how this lawsuit was settled, but the idea that enjoying life and serving God can be most enjoyable in the last years of life has always stuck with me.
The Apostle Paul writes about his last years . . .
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful (2 Timothy 4:7, NLT).
This statement by Paul is the go-to passage of Scripture when discussing aging in the Lord. Many preachers, pastors, and followers do not finish well. From the beginning of my ministry over 50 years ago, I’ve prayed that I would finish well.
Temptation doesn’t cease with age; it often gets worse. Offenses can accumulate and not be released by forgiveness, causing anger and resentment. A form of materialism called “leisure” can be a problem. And let’s not forget complaining, a malady that can intensify with age.
What is the Lord’s will for us—our last few licks of the ice cream cone?
In 1995, Bob Buford wrote a book entitled Halftime, in which he describes how we, usually in mid-life, have thoughts of moving from success in our lives to significance.
Amen! And to be honest, I think this type of thinking should begin at age 10.
In a follow-up book entitled Finishing Well, Buford lists three characteristics of a significant life that finishes well.
First, life during the ‘retirement years’ needs to be free of the stresses we experienced during our working life. Second, the tasks we undertake during these years need to be meaningful work that benefits other people or (and this is critical) another person. And third, it needs to be fun.
We need to ask ourselves: Are we finishing well? Is it fun? (I love Rocky Road ice cream—especially the last few licks.)