No matter our age, we can have impact by taking up Kingdom duties

By Dean Collins

The word age jumped out at me this morning as I read through the first chapter of Galatians. Verses 4 and 14 use the word two different ways. Maybe it’s the reality that I am now in my 60s that made me notice the word. The older we get the more keenly we are aware of time, and we think a bit more clearly about what is important and what is not.

Advancing beyond others

In verse 14 Paul said he was advancing in Judaism beyond many of his own age. That’s the kind of thing adults say to young people they believe have a knack or talent in a particular area. I remember hearing that as a teenager, especially in church circles. It was in the context of church that I first demonstrated leadership potential. At 16 I received a call from a minister in Cocoa Beach, Florida who asked me if I would like to come work for the church as their summer youth minister. It was a church of about 100, and they had maybe 20 elementary and middle school young people and a couple of teenagers.

My parents were separated, and I was going to be living by myself in Tampa where I was in a band. I’m not the smartest guy, but I realized the Tampa option would be fun but could lead to a lot of bad outcomes. Working at Cocoa Beach for the summer seemed like a good choice. I had free room and board and would make a hundred bucks a week playing in the ocean. Seemed like a no-brainer. I guess I could say I was advancing well beyond many of my own age, but at the time I was just doing the obvious next thing.

Paul’s advancement was a more formal progression. There was, of course, instruction that started in the home. Then, possibly as early as age 6, the memorization of the Psalms would likely have started. Next, maybe around age 10, memorization and instruction in the Law, and by 16 Paul may have been studying under Rabbi Gamaliel. Acts 22 gives us a brief biography of Paul’s education under Gamaliel.

Dramatic conversion

In Acts 9 we read of Paul’s Damascus Road conversion. A bona fide persecutor of those who followed Jesus, he was struck by light on the way to harass Christians and probably arrange for some to be stoned to death. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he says this experience was so convincing he didn’t need anyone to confirm it. He knew that his encounter with Jesus was real and his life’s purpose was radically changed.

The opening verses of Galatians give us more context on Paul’s identity and mission. He was once a Pharisee. Pharisees were well educated in the law but also in the ways of the world and attempted to separate themselves from worldly things. They would have agreed with Paul’s assessment that they lived in an evil age. Paul called it the present evil age. Based on his encounter with Jesus Paul knew that Jesus had accomplished something that the law of the Pharisees could not do. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus delivered Paul from the present evil age and into the Kingdom of God. Now his mission was to share this good news far and wide and to live in a way that brought glory to God.

Transformed purpose

I think you would confirm that the evil age is still present. Left to our own devices we may accomplish some good, but we can never overcome our tendency to sin. Only Jesus can rescue us and, even better, transform us. Just as Paul was changed by the power of the gospel, our life’s purpose must also change.

Your job as a teacher, lawyer, doctor, accountant, coach, or whatever may stay the same. You may make a living and provide an important service to others. But once we experience the grace and forgiveness of the Lord, we have a new life agenda. We are called to share God’s love with others both with our words and with acts of service. We do this not for anyone’s approval here on earth but rather to please God.

It doesn’t matter if you were advancing at a young age or just had a conversion experience in your retirement years. Once we experience God’s love and grace we have a new identity and a new purpose. As you start your day or end your day, I pray you will embrace your role as an ambassador of the King. The world needs to know that things can be different. It just might be that what you do today and how you do it might rescue someone from death to life!

Your time with God’s Word
Galatians 1:1-10, 14-18, 22-24 ESV

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

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